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I can definitely say that he WILL NOT be acquiring any Pokemon of legendary status. I don't know if I completely agree with you, though. There are some cases (albeit rare ones) where a legendary on a protagonist's team actually DOES work out without being too much of a cliche. I have an idea for a future fic where legendaries would be much more prominent than they are here, and I'm hoping that their involvement won't be too cliched.

Wait... did that Marowak just SPEAK? I think I'm missing more than a chapter here...

That battle was... AMAZING! And the implications of Derak "trading" Brute are falling into place beautifully. Garth seems to pick the worst times to keep his sardonic mouth shut...

Now the links are starting to close and the plot begins to thin. Though with your promise of Elliot's closet getting aired in the near/not so near future, and the prospect of Derak facing that killer Toxicroak for a gym badge, this fic is definitely not going to let it's readers stay dull, is it?

Speaking of things never getting dull, the workplace is getting crazy again, so I gotta run. I am following this though, so keep the good stuff coming!

Wait... did that Marowak just SPEAK? I think I'm missing more than a chapter here...

Long story short, the Marowak is a character from a fic series I previously wrote here on Serebii (which, as the first one I ever wrote in my entire life, started off...less-than-fantastic, to say the least).

That battle was... AMAZING! And the implications of Derak "trading" Brute are falling into place beautifully. Garth seems to pick the worst times to keep his sardonic mouth shut...

Thanks! I was actually hoping that the "Everyone VS Nobunaga" battle would turn out well.

As for the trade...heh...this is just the tip of the iceberg. All I'm going to say. XD

Now the links are starting to close and the plot begins to thin. Though with your promise of Elliot's closet getting aired in the near/not so near future, and the prospect of Derak facing that killer Toxicroak for a gym badge, this fic is definitely not going to let it's readers stay dull, is it?

I hope not. That was something I was worried about with a fic as long as this one's going to be.

Speaking of things never getting dull, the workplace is getting crazy again, so I gotta run. I am following this though, so keep the good stuff coming!

L@er!

P.S. Way to bring the P-1 Grand Prix back! Awesome stuff!

That was actually one of my favorite anime episodes back in the day, so I'm glad that my decision to include it has been well-recieved.

Sorry it took so long for me to get to this. I hope the review makes up for it.

Originally Posted by Morpher01

Chapter 22: Shades of Black and White

“Derak?” Garth said the next morning, sharply rapping the door to the boy’s room. “Will you stop feeling sorry for yourself and get out here?”

No response. Garth sighed and tried the knob, finding that—curiously enough—it opened with ease. With the door no longer obstructing his view of the room, Garth soon came upon Derak, albeit in a poor state. The boy was close to falling out of his bunk, and his eyes were somewhat reddened. He looked as if he were barely awake.

“Did you even get ANY sleep last night?” Garth asked.

“Not really,” Derak groaned. “I’m worried about Brute.”

Derak, if you're going to be upset about trading Brute, you shouldn't have done it in the first place.

“If you are going to whine about a trade-off,” Garth grumbled, “then I have to wonder how you will react when you suffer an actual tragedy.”

“How is this not—” Derak began.

Because you did it voluntarily?

“Be quiet and let me finish,” Garth spat. “I realize that it is difficult to part with a friend…but believe me when I say that a Machoke can only reach its maximum potential after it is traded to someone else. Although I cannot exactly call what you and the bug-obsessed girl did a ‘trade’.”

“Why’s that?” Derak asked, slipping out of bed and managing to land on his feet.

“Why do you not simply ask your new Happiny?” Garth snorted. “Your Pokedex can analyze its potential skills, assuming you can figure out how to use that feature.”

Oh you, Garth. At least this time the attitude is pretty justified.

Rather than make one of his typical sarcastic remarks, Derak instead wordlessly released Happiny. The small Normal-type squealed cheerfully, having evidently anticipated its arrival into the company of a new trainer. Derak gave it a quick wave before pointing his Pokedex at Happiny.

“If Happiny is afflicted with a status condition like paralysis, then switching it out will cure its problems,” Garth explained.

“Okay, then,” Derak shrugged. “All right, moves…sheesh, I haven’t seen many of these…Pound… Sweet Kiss? Aromatherapy? Helping Hand? What do these even do?”

“Sweet Kiss causes confusion, Aromatherapy heals the status afflictions of other Pokemon, and Helping Hand boosts the power of a partner Pokemon’s attack,” Garth answered. “In other words, it is a poor substitute for your Machoke.”

“…so, what you’re saying is…I got ripped off?” Derak said slowly.

“Essentially,” Garth nodded.

At least Garth is being honest to him here. I can't really blame Derak for making that mistake, given his naive background, but he still made it.

“Haap?” Happiny whimpered, its expression saddening.

“Uh…that doesn’t mean you’re not welcome, though!” Derak sputtered. “It’s just…I had to give away a really good friend to get you. And I already miss him.”

“Ugh, here we go again,” Garth sighed.

Happiny, however, appeared to understand Derak’s concerns. It nodded, waddled up to him, and hugged his leg.

“Uh…thanks?” Derak blinked. “Okay, Happiny, I think it’s time for you to go back in the Pokeball, now.”

“Hap-peeny!” nodded the Playhouse Pokemon, promptly backing away and allowing itself to be recalled. Once it was gone, Derak sighed.

I'm pleased that Derak actually is having second thoughts. It would be worrying if he was just shrugging this whole thing off.

“Garth,” he said, “remind me to never trade Pokemon with anyone ever again.”

“Noted,” the cloaked man nodded. “Now, let us try and determine which Pokemon you will use against the Fuchsia Gym Leader.”

“Definitely not Happiny,” Derak said as he headed out of the room and into the lobby. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great for moral support and giving its partners a boost in double battles, but in what’s probably going to be a single battle…not so much.”

Surprisingly apt analysis on Derak's part. Despite it, though, I have a feeling that Happiny might end up being important after all.

“Is that really all that matters? How a Pokemon will perform in battle?”

The source of the new voice was none other than Zekrom’s apparent trainer, who sat with his hat over his eyes as he methodically fiddled with the puzzle cube that typically hung from his belt. Garth’s eyes narrowed at the sight of him, but Derak was merely confused.

Ooh ****, here we go. I wasn't ready for N.

“Uh…not really, now that you mention it,” he answered. “Why?”

The green-haired young man sighed, reattaching the cube to his belt as he stood up.

“Ever since I was a child, all I have ever seen are Pokemon who were hurt by trainers,” he said. “It hurts me, as well. They’re my friends, you know…Pokemon are the only friends I can really have.”

Is this after the events of BW, or have B2W2 happened as well? N's character could go one of several ways.

“Funny how that worked out for you, is it not?” Garth growled, preparing a Pokeball. “Electivire, rise from the ashes!”

In a flash, Garth’s Electivire appeared on the scene, grinning wickedly as it faced the Zekrom trainer down. Despite the fearsome foe before him, the mysterious young man was completely undaunted, and simply stared at Electivire as if expecting something. Derak, however, was not so calm about the situation.

“Garth, what the heck are you doing?!” Derak cried.

“Eliminating a problem,” Garth shot back. “Electivire, use—”

Obviously Garth knows who N is, but is it just that he knows of Team Plasma, or is there a deeper meaning?

“Vire?” blinked the Thunderbolt Pokemon, looking down at the green-haired young man. “Electi-vire?”

“Yes,” the young man smiled. “That is who I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Electivire.”

“Electivire, what are you waiting for?!” Garth cried.

“Your Electivire…he tells me that you ‘have issues’,” the Zekrom trainer said, “but still speaks highly of you. He says you are his longtime partner, and always will be.”

“Do not bother,” Garth spat. “His organization will only use that ability for their own twisted ends.”

“I see…so you already know. That makes sense,” the young man said. “Let me introduce myself. My name is N. My…father…a man named Ghetsis, once led a group called Team Plasma.”

I notice his reluctance to call Ghetsis his father, first of all. I also see that it appears that this indeed takes place between BW and B2W2, but feel free to correct me if that's wrong.

“Team what?” Derak blinked.

“A group of medieval-themed gnats who tried to force the trainers of the Unova region into releasing all of their Pokemon solely to make Ghetsis the sole remaining trainer,” Garth growled. “And who also buzzed once too often around me during my travels.”

And there's the connection between Team Plasma and Garth. I hope we get to hear more about that.

“That…was their plan?” Derak blinked. “That sounds kinda stupid. Then again, I guess I should expect that from someone who only gave their kid one letter for their name.”

I admit, I laughed, probably more than I should have.

“Firstly, Ghetsis is only my foster father…a difficult thing to call him, as well,” N sighed. “Secondly…my full name is actually Natural Harmonia Gropius. But I prefer to go by N.”

I'm kind of amazed at how forthcoming N is being, but he's coming along nicely still.

“…I can see why,” Derak blinked.

“But that is not what I am here to discuss,” N continued, looking over at Derak. “You…your name is Derak? I wish to battle you. I want to hear the voices of your Pokemon. Wait…”

He closed his eyes for a moment. Derak looked to Garth for an explanation, but neither could answer the questions raised by N’s behavior. Finally, the former king of Team Plasma opened his eyes.

“I can feel that I have a particular friend who wishes to witness our battle,” N said. “Let us go outside so I can introduce you.”

Is this going where I think it is?

N took the two into a rather secluded area outside Fuchsia City, specifically the spot where Zekrom had landed the day before. He stood at one side of the clearing, staring into space for a while. Derak and Garth took their place at the other side, the former wondering what in the world was going on. Electivire stood by the sidelines, arms crossed as it glanced back and forth at each side.

“Before I introduce you to my friend,” N began, “let me say one thing: many trainers aspire to use its kind for their own benefit. And I will prevent any further attempts by either of you.”

With a deep preparatory breath, N enlarged a Pokeball and revealed his ownership of Zekrom. The black dragon’s imposing stature alone was enough to cause Derak to fall backwards out of shock. But Garth was the most severely affected: his eyes went wide, his skin paled, and his hands began to shake. Memories flooded into his mind, all of them chronicling horrible times.

So it IS where I thought it was going.

I have to admit, I feel like N's revelation of Zekrom was a little underwhelming. I mean, as a reader I already knew he had Zekrom, but in spite of that, it should still be spoken of as a big deal since it's the first time the characters are seeing it with him. Given Garth's reaction, I definitely think more than just "N enlarged a Pokeball and revealed his ownership of Zekrom" followed by a small bit of description would be warranted.

“No…no, NO!” Garth roared. Without warning, he charged at Zekrom, rage blinding him as he began attacking the dragon’s leg with his bare hands. Zekrom looked down at him with mild surprise on its face, but upon squinting in an attempt to get a closer look at its comparatively tiny attacker, it understood.

Does Garth have a death wish, or is he really that consumed by a desire for revenge?

“ELECTIVIRE!” Garth bellowed. “What are you waiting for?! This is what I have been training you for!”

“Elec?” Electivire blinked, nervously staring up at Zekrom. True, the majority of its training under Garth’s ownership was for the purpose of eventually defeating this colossal beast, hence its being taught the move Ice Punch…but the task now seemed quite intimidating, to say the least.

“Zekrom?” N looked over to his dragon, which stared at him for a moment. After a short time (in which Garth’s continued attempts at doing harm to Zekrom were met with failure), N nodded. “I see. You…your name was Garth? Zekrom tells me that it knows you.”

I get the feeling that backstory I've been waiting for is about to arrive...

“Wait, back up…what the heck is going on?” Derak blinked.

“I am not Zekrom’s first partner,” N replied. “It was allied with numerous people over the years…a hero who sought ideals and created the Unova region with his brother, and—”

“And a guy named Nobunaga?” Derak interrupted.

“Yes,” N blinked. “How did you know?”

“Long story that you might not even believe,” Derak shrugged.

“He has no right to any of our business!” Garth spat. “Electivire, use Ice Punch on Zekrom NOW!”

But Electivire still would not move. The Thunderbolt Pokemon scratched its head for a moment, attempting to weigh its options. Before it could make a decision, N stepped forward.

“I won’t allow harm to come to Zekrom,” he said. “It wants me to tell you…how sorry it is that it—”

“I WANT NONE OF ZEKROM’S EXCUSES OR PITY!” Garth roared. He then reduced his voice to a snarl as he continued. “All I want…all I have wanted for the many years that I have wandered…is to take my revenge upon Nobunaga Oda. Zekrom was the Pokemon he used to destroy that which was dear to me…which means that it must pay, as well.”

And there it is, at least a good part of it. I had actually pieced together that Garth was after Zekrom because it was Nobunaga's weapon in the past, but it's good to have confirmation of that.

“Uh, Garth, any chance you could just save all your revenge talk for Nobunaga alone?” Derak asked. “Just because he used Zekrom to do bad stuff to you doesn’t mean that it’s to blam—oh, crap…”

“What?” Garth asked.

Derak nervously pointed at the sky. The others looked up and saw a storm of comets raining down from above, gaining more power and speed as they gathered momentum.

It sure hit the fan now, if this means what I think...

“A Draco Meteor!” Garth cried. “Electivire, shield us with Protect!”

“Zekrom, destroy it with Thunder!” N cried.

Electivire rushed to Garth’s side as its trainer pulled a stunned Derak behind the Thunderbolt Pokemon, allowing the Electric-type to form a Protect large enough to defend all three of them. N’s Zekrom, however, took to the skies, its body surging with electricity. A colossal bolt of lightning burst from the dragon’s electrified aura, decimating the first meteor it came into contact with. Other meteors soon followed the first, Zekrom having progressively aimed its Thunder to the right.

“Magnificent,” a voice praised. “The years have indeed been kind to you, Zekrom.”

The dragon’s eyes went wide as it recognized the voice, but Derak was filled with a sense of dread. A Hydreigon land in the clearing, and Nobunaga himself dismounted the beast.

Yep, things just got really, really bad. And I don't think they're going to get better.

I wasn't expecting Nobunaga to return so soon.

“Now, then…N, was it?” Nobunaga smirked. “I believe you have something that belongs to me.”

“What…? You mean Zekrom?” N gasped.

“Yes,” Nobunaga grinned, his Hydreigon eyeing Derak darkly. “I have come to reclaim the Pokemon that was once a valued partner during the War of Ransei…as Garth over there can attest.”

I would hope Nobunaga actually has a plan to accomplish that, because I would think Zekrom wouldn't just bond with him again.

“Indeed it does,” Garth growled. “I have to say that a Pokemon of that description fits you quite well, Oda.”

“Why, thank you,” Nobunaga smirked.

You know, I never thought of it until now, but you're completely right about how suited Hydreigon is to Nobunaga.

“This is…Nobunaga Oda?” N blinked, clearly overwhelmed by the strange information he was presented with. “Ghetsis…told me stories of Ransei’s war…and how Nobunaga’s actions were an inspiration for him.”

“Is that so?” Nobunaga said. “As flattered as I am to have a fan in your ‘father’, I am afraid that I will have to take Zekrom now.”

The possibilities for a Ghetsis/Nobunaga connection are playing in my mind, and they could be brilliant.

He reached out a hand, pointing it directly at Zekrom’s head. The dragon could only stare in shock, wondering how in the world Nobunaga was still alive centuries after the battles of Ransei had concluded. A sudden sensation in its mind made it gasp, however, and its eyes began to glow a bright yellow.

“NO!” Garth yelled. “Derak, N, we must stop him! He is attempting to Link with Zekrom again!”

“Link?” Derak repeated.

“That was how ancient warriors used Pokemon: by establishing a telepathic link!” N cried. “I can’t allow Zekrom to be used for the purpose of conquest!”

I have to say, I did not expect Linking to depicted, and especially not in such a way.

He pulled a particular Pokeball off of his belt, knowing that within was the same Pokemon that constantly yearned for release.

He threw the Pokeball into the air, and released a lizard-like Pokemon with a pale brown body. Its most noticeable feature was the large reptilian skull over its head, and the bone it held in its one-fingered hand. The lizard gave its head a shake, as if relieving itself of some contamination.

“I promised you exercise, my Marowak friend, and you will have it,” N declared, an unusual resolve in his voice. “Please, stop this man from taking Zekrom!”

The Pokemon—evidently called “Marowak”—looked over at Nobunaga, observing his attempts to Link with the now-immobile dragon. With a grunt, it slapped it bone into its free hand and charged forth, a dark aura beginning to grow from its body.

Joined by Derak’s Chimchar and Garth’s Electivire, N’s Marowak quickly advanced on Nobunaga. The three Pokemon were quickly faced with an obstacle, however, as Nobunaga’s Hydreigon landed between them and let out a terrifying roar. Wildfire stumbled back in fright, but Garth’s Electivire narrowed its eyes as it cracked its knuckles. N’s Marowak, however, simply scoffed.

That's Skull for you, I know that much.

That scoff was apparently enough to incite Hydreigon’s wrath, however. Without any order, the Brutal Pokemon rose into the air and exhaled a blast of orange wind that almost seemed to be on fire. Wildfire, being a Fire-type, managed to resist the Heat Wave, but still struggled to advance. Marowak waved its bone about, somehow managing to summon a rocky shield for itself without ever touching the ground. Electivire channeled an Ice Punch into both its fists, pushing them forward in an attempt to reduce the effectiveness of Hydreigon’s attack.

Eventually, however, Hydreigon began to suffer from lack of oxygen, and thus halted its Heat Wave for a moment. This provided the perfect opportunity for N’s Marowak, which abandoned its shield of rocks and dashed forward. With its aura of shadow in place, it slammed itself into Hydreigon’s stomach with enough force to send the Brutal Pokemon reeling.

Despite the violence that was dealt to his Pokemon, however, Nobunaga barely seemed to notice. A glow had entered into his own eyes as he continued to Link with Zekrom, his progress increasing with each passing second. This progress, however, appeared to be at the cost of noticing what happened around him, including Derak’s sneaking up behind him. The boy clenched his jaw, pulled back his leg, and aimed a kick towards the area between Nobunaga’s legs.

Before the kick could connect, however, Nobunaga’s other hand suddenly shot out and wrapped itself around Derak’s throat.

“Crap,” Derak choked. “Guess you…really were paying attention…”

Some great combat there. I have to admit, I thought Derak had a shot at Nobunaga, but it doesn't surprise me that he'd somehow be able to see it coming.

As if to prove its trainer wrong, however, N’s Marowak viciously tackled Hydreigon into a tree, pinning it down and preventing it from stopping Wildfire’s assault. The Chimchar neared Nobunaga, but another Pokeball on the warlord’s belt automatically opened…

…and released an Infernape.

I can't imagine how we're ever going to actually stop this guy.

Wildfire suddenly stopped in its tracks, its rage quickly turning into terror as it remembered the events of Cerulean City, where Nick Spire’s Infernape displayed traumatizing brutality towards Garth’s Cradily. The Infernape standing before it appeared, for all intents and purposes, completely identical to Spire’s Infernape, right down to the sadistic grin plastered across its face.

“Ferrrn,” Infernape grinned. Wildfire’s Flame Wheel was long gone by this point, the Chimchar now trembling and frozen still.

“That does it,” Garth growled. “Dewgong, use Aqua Jet on Infernape!”

The very second that Dewgong appeared, its body became surrounded by a watery shell that made the Sea Lion Pokemon resemble an aquatic missile. Fittingly enough, the missile rocketed towards Infernape, slamming into the evolved Fire-type with devastating force. The Flame Pokemon was sent tumbling back head-first into yet another tree, giving a small fraction of hope. N’s Marowak even charged darkness into its bone and clubbed Hydreigon’s head, knocking out the Dragon-type and preventing further harm from it.

Realizing that its master was in jeopardy, the still-conscious Infernape sprang back into action by aiming a punch at Dewgong, which—as evidenced by the sudden burst of speed with which Infernape lunged at Dewgong—was soon revealed to be a Mach Punch. The Flame Pokemon managed to knock Dewgong aside, and once the Sea Lion Pokemon was out of the way, Infernape scrambled to Nobunaga’s side and began fiddling with one of his Pokeballs.

“Oh, for the love of…!” Garth growled, noticing a still-paralyzed Wildfire and a fallen Dewgong. “N, you clearly have some sort of link with Zekrom, try and fight Nobunaga’s control! Electivire, use Thunder on Nobunaga immediately!”

I notice Garth has little hesitance when it comes to ordering attacks against humans.

With Hydreigon out of the way, Electivire released a Thunder into the air that bore down on Nobunaga. Meanwhile, N approached Zekrom and stood firm before it, closing his eyes and attempting to access the mind of his friend. He soon found resistance, however, as his facial expression contorted into one of intense effort. Fortunately, Nobunaga’s face wore a similar expression, revealing that their two minds had come into conflict within Zekrom’s mind.

This conflict of powers is awesome.

Just as the Thunder seemed to near Nobunaga, however, Infernape pressed a Pokeball’s button and released an avian shape into the sky. The bird-like Pokemon was quickly struck by the Thunder, and only upon falling to the ground in agony was it revealed to have been a Braviary. Infernape bounded over its fallen comrade’s body and spat a whirling tunnel of flame at Electivire, only for the Thunderbolt Pokemon to block the Fire Spin with another Protect.

Did Infernape just use Braviary as a living shield for Nobunaga?

N’s Marowak suddenly leapt out of the trees, heading towards Nobunaga with its bone ready to smash. Infernape, however, intercepted the reptilian bone-wielder with another Mach Punch. Rather than be sent sailing away by the force of the blow, however, Marowak grabbed hold of Infernape’s free arm, taking the Flame Pokemon down with it. Realizing his opportunity, Garth rushed forward, roaring madly as he charged towards Nobunaga.

But then N cried out, falling to the ground as he clutched his head in agony.

“So…horrible,” N whimpered. “Such…terrible things…”

And then the glow faded from Nobunaga’s eyes. A smirk grew across his face.

“Link complete,” he smirked. “Zekrom, come.”

And, shockingly enough, Zekrom obeyed.

I don't believe it... this is bad...

The Legendary Pokemon trudged over to Nobunaga’s side, as if all memory of its true trainer had been wiped away. Nobunaga’s grin grew as he climbed upon Zekrom’s back, recalling the Hydreigon, Infernape, and Braviary that had fought for him.

“I trust you are familiar with the Pokemon I took from Derak’s lawyer acquaintance?” Nobunaga smirked.

“You STOLE the man’s Pokemon?” Garth growled. “And here I thought even you would not stoop to such petty deeds.”

I'm actually not all that surprised Nobunaga would do this.

“He refused to join my cause, so I took the next best thing,” Nobunaga smirked. “A shame that the honor ingrained in Ransei’s warriors has not made its way into the modern age.”

“You…you are…a monster,” N said slowly as he rose. “You are no honorable warrior…we have seen each other’s lives when our minds made contact…you have destroyed lives, hopes, and dreams…all in search of your ideal world. Those who kill without remorse…are without any sense of honor.”

“Is that so?” Nobunaga said, his smirk fading away. “You do realize that I could have easily had Zekrom vaporize the lot of you five times over the course of our conversation? And I can guarantee that I did not do so just so other people could hear the sound of my voice.”

“Then why…?” N trailed off.

“To make a request,” Nobunaga said. “When Derak awakes, tell him that I will be waiting for our battle when his strength is sufficient.”

“Then I hope you do not mind waiting,” Garth growled.

“Heh…I can wait until the end of this year,” Nobunaga snickered. “After all, I have waited hundreds of years for the opportunity to create my ideal world. What’s another few months? Zekrom, let’s go.”

Interesting that Nobunaga still thinks in yearly terms, much as he did in Ransei.

Without a second’s hesitation, Zekrom rose into the air, Nobunaga on its back. N rushed to the place where his partner once stood, but by then it was too late.

Nobunaga had taken Zekrom.

“Brilliant,” Garth growled. “Our task just grew three times as difficult.”

“So it would seem,” N sighed. “Garth…please, let me help you and Derak.”

“And what can YOU offer us?” Garth spat.

“Let us carry Derak to the Pokemon Center,” N suggested. “We should wait until he wakes up.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Garth agreed as he recalled his Dewgong, making sure to leave Electivire out in case of another attack. “That way I will not have to serve as the middleman.”

With a nod from N, the two trainers hoisted Derak’s still-unconscious body between them and carried him off. Wildfire nervously followed, but as it began to fall behind, it found itself lifted up by the two tails of Garth’s Electivire. Only N’s Marowak remained behind, and once most of the group had left the clearing, the skull-wearing lizard heaved a sigh.

“Figures,” the Marowak said in a harsh, gruff voice. “There’s always SOME moron trying to take over the world.”

With a shake of its head, the Marowak reluctantly followed the group back to the Pokemon Center.

****

And it was indeed Skull. Awesome.

Now that was one hell of a chapter, that's all I can say. Just perfect. You got together a perfect combination of characters and very dramatic action to create one great ride.

(Banner by Matori)Beyond all ideals, the truth shall set you free...
Most Recent: 20: The Weight of the World (Part 2)
Next: Father

Surprisingly apt analysis on Derak's part. Despite it, though, I have a feeling that Happiny might end up being important after all.

You might be surprised at just what it is Happiny is important to.

I have to admit, I feel like N's revelation of Zekrom was a little underwhelming. I mean, as a reader I already knew he had Zekrom, but in spite of that, it should still be spoken of as a big deal since it's the first time the characters are seeing it with him. Given Garth's reaction, I definitely think more than just "N enlarged a Pokeball and revealed his ownership of Zekrom" followed by a small bit of description would be warranted.

I definitely dropped the ball here, which I think may have been caused by my attempts to not have the Zekrom revelation overshadow the Nobunaga battle.

Does Garth have a death wish, or is he really that consumed by a desire for revenge?

Spoiler:- Quick answer:

Kinda both, actually.

And there it is, at least a good part of it. I had actually pieced together that Garth was after Zekrom because it was Nobunaga's weapon in the past, but it's good to have confirmation of that.

Oh, there's more where this came from...much more.

Holy ****, could it be...?! This one is the biggest surprise of all!

I'm still debating as to how much I should use him, to be honest. But, every now and then, it's nice to bring back an old friend for some beatdown distribution. XD

I notice Garth has little hesitance when it comes to ordering attacks against humans.

This IS Garth we're talking about, here. XD

Now that was one hell of a chapter, that's all I can say. Just perfect. You got together a perfect combination of characters and very dramatic action to create one great ride.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

Okay...I'm sorry for the delay in this one, but I've had some difficulties in figuring out how to connect this chapter to the next one. I think I've figured it out, though, so let's finally get the Fuchsia Gym battle on the road.

Side note: there's going to be a couple of bits and pieces in here that will be setting up a future fic that I'm planning. It may be fairly obvious which sections those are, but I'll leave that for the readers to determine. ON WITH THE GYM BATTLE ALREADY!

Chapter 23: The Voices of Pokemon

“Man…how’d Nobunaga do that, anyway?” Derak complained hoarsely, massaging his throat. “People don’t just get tossed around like sports balls.”

It was a short while after Derak, Garth, and N battled Nobunaga. Derak had since recovered from being knocked unconscious during the fight, much to his Chimchar’s relief. At the moment, however, the three humans—plus N’s Marowak—sat at a table in the Pokemon Center lobby. Garth’s Electivire stood by the table, and Wildfire sat in Derak’s lap.

“It does not matter how Nobunaga did anything he was able to do,” Garth said. “The fact remains that he has gained a massive advantage because of his Linking with Zekrom.”

“Yes…and I am partially to blame,” N sighed. His Marowak looked as if it were about to say something, but N subtly shot it a cautionary glance. Remembering the agreement it had with its current trainer, the Marowak reluctantly remained silent.

“How’s this your fault?” Derak asked. “You didn’t exactly give Zekrom away, and Nobunaga would probably have found it no matter where you went.”

“Indeed,” Garth nodded. “He most likely saw the same news broadcast that I did.”

“That must have been when Zekrom and I were flying beneath the cloud cover,” N sighed. “I wish we could have stayed above the clouds for the entire flight…but oxygen is scarce up there.”

“Regardless, we need to determine a counter-strategy,” Garth said gruffly. “If we can remove Zekrom from the equation, we will have a chance at defeating Nobunaga.”

“Believe it or not, Skull here has dealt with Pokemon with greater strength than Zekrom,” N smiled, nodding to his Marowak. “If we have to defeat Zekrom to break the Link, then that is what we must do, as much as I wish otherwise.”

“Marowak,” Derak’s Pokedex reported upon being pointed at Skull, much to the lizard’s annoyance, “the Bone Keeper Pokemon. Type is Ground. Evolved form of Cubone. From its birth, this savage Pokemon constantly holds bones. It is skilled in using them as weapons.”

“You may place too much faith in one Pokemon,” Garth snorted.

“I have other friends who will help us,” N said. “Even so, I can’t deny that it will be difficult…but I will do whatever it takes to bring my friend Zekrom back.”

“We may as well go now,” Garth said. “Your Chimchar has been healed, and I trust you know what Pokemon you will be using.”

“More or less,” Derak shrugged. “Let’s go find the Gym so we can get this over with.”

Derak and Garth were the first to leave. N and Skull soon left as well, but as they followed the former two, N looked to his Marowak.

“Skull,” he said in a low voice, “I realize that you have wonderful ideas to contribute, and that you will surely see things we humans will not, but…”

“I know, I know,” Skull sighed. “If I speak human in front of losers like these, then everyone starts freaking out and going ‘ooh, talking Pokemon, let’s enslave it because we clearly have nothing better to do’. So I have to keep my mouth shut, or else I draw even MORE unnecessary attention than Zekrom’s gotten lately.”

“…something like that,” N slowly said with a nervous smile. “What do you think of these two?”

“Derak’s one of the biggest idiots I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen plenty,” Skull snorted. “Garth’s a little smarter, but he’s borderline psycho.”

“His rage is well-earned, though,” N replied. “I’ve seen what Nobunaga did to him when I made contact with Nobunaga’s mind while we were inside Zekrom’s. No one should have to go through that…no matter how much you might hate them.”

“I suppose,” Skull grunted. “Honestly, though, I’d rather just beat Nobunaga’s head in and call it a day.”

“If only it were that simple,” N sighed. “Still, if we can give Nobunaga the battle he wants…then you may be able to get what you want.”

****

The group eventually came upon the dojo Gym, a plain but intricate wooden structure in the southeast portion of Fuchsia City. Derak made to go in, N and Skull following, but stopped for a moment.

The boy pushed his way inside the Gym, N and Skull in tow. Once they entered, however, it was clear that something was wrong. The entirety of the inner Gym was vacant, and finding the Gym Leader was a task made near-impossible by the network of passages that twisted in every direction.

“Sheesh,” Derak muttered. “This place looked smaller on the outside.”

“I have heard that this building was designed by Pokemon trainers who have mastered the art of Ninjutsu,” N said. “We should be wary of hidden traps.”

“…is there a reason that someone who headed a knight-obsessed group knows so much about ninjas?” Derak blinked.

“Ghetsis had a small team of ninjas, known as the Shadow Triad, perform delicate operations,” N replied.

“Hang on, why would there be ninjas in a team that’s supposed to be focused around knights and medieval stuff?” Derak asked. “That just seems really out of nowhere.”

Suddenly, a dark-garbed figure shot out of the rafters and landed in front of Derak, N, and Skull. Initially in a crouched position, the figure soon stood and revealed itself to be a young woman who appeared to be in her early teens.

“…speaking of things coming out of nowhere,” Derak sighed, N drifting back a bit for fear of being recognized. Skull remained up front, narrowing his eyes as he regarded the new arrival.

“You don’t seem too surprised,” the girl said, running a hand through her spiky purple ponytail. “Most challengers jump out of their skins when I do that.”

“Let’s just say that I’m getting used to crazy surprises at this point,” Derak shrugged. “I take it you’re the Gym Leader?”

“Yep,” the girl nodded. “Name’s Janine. My father, Koga, was the original Gym Leader before he was promoted to the Elite Four. What about you?”

“Derak,” the challenger shrugged. Despite his casual demeanor, his name appeared to have piqued Janine’s interest.

“…hang on, you said your name was Derak?” she asked. “By any chance, your last name isn’t ‘Kadir’, is it?”

The young Gym Leader took Derak through several passages, eventually coming to what seemed to be a dead end. Janine, however, placed her hand on a portion of the wall, which then sunk into the wall. Once the hidden panel was pressed, a small door slid open, revealing several scrolls and books inside.

“Everything here is a chronicle of my ancestry, tracing all the way back to the ancient war over Arceus,” Janine said, pulling out a scroll and unraveling it. On it were numerous ancient characters and pictures, including one of an armored woman who stood alongside a four-winged bat with flat teeth. “This is my ancestor from Ransei, Nene. Next to her is her partner Pokemon, Crobat.”

“Crobat?” Derak repeated, looking over the image of Nene’s Pokemon.

“Yeah, don’t you know?” Janine said. “Crobat is the final evolution of Zubat, a Pokemon that’s been in my family ever since Nene’s time.”

“Well, first it has to evolve into Golbat through experience,” Janine corrected, “and then it evolves into Crobat once it forges a strong bond with its trainer. But, yeah, Zubat eventually evolves into Crobat.”

“Hey, cheer up! Listen, there’s this hilarious story in here!” Janine said, pulling out the book and flipping through several pages. “One time, before the whole war started, most of the other ninjas were in this argument about who was the best. So Nene made them all battle for it, and even jumped in for the fun of it! Hang on, let me see if I can show you the other ninjas…”

She flipped through several more pages, and came to an image of an extremely serious-looking man with a red-eyed purple-bodied creature with a giant grin.

“Next to the Gengar here is Hanzo Hattori, one of the ninjas that Nene roped into battling,” Janine explained. She flipped through several more pages, coming across a young woman with a dark-colored weasel-like Pokemon. “And this is Kunoichi with her Weavile—she’s another one of the ninjas. The last one was…what?!”

“What’s going on?” Derak asked.

“There’s pages missing,” Janine replied, and true enough, several pages appeared to have been completely torn out of the book. “But that’s not possible! My family is the only one I know of who knows how to access these archives!”

“What’s missing?” N asked.

“Just everything relating to the last of the ninjas Nene forced that battle on,” Janine replied. “If I remember correctly…his name was Kotaro Fuma. He and Nene were the only two involved that were actual Warlords: Nene headed the Poison-type kingdom of Viperia, while Kotaro was in charge of the Dark-type kingdom called Yaksha.”

“But…why would pages about this Kotaro guy be missing?” Derak asked.

“No clue,” Janine replied, “but I’ll need to look into this later. My dad’s going to kill me if he finds out about these missing pages.”

She stuffed the book and scroll back into the compartment, which promptly sealed itself.

“So, anyway,” Janine said, turning back to Derak. “Sorry about getting a little off-track there, I just got excited about meeting someone else who’s descended from Ransei warlords. I was looking up all their family trees online, and then I found yours under Nobunaga’s, so…yeah.”

“Yeah,” Derak said slowly. “Listen, I’m glad I’m not the only Ransei kid and all, but can we get on with the Gym battle?”

“Sure, why not?” Janine smiled. “I mean, that IS probably what you came here for. No more distractions. Let’s go.”

She put her hand on another part of the wall, which caused the entire wall to rotate, revealing itself to be a hidden revolving door. Janine squeezed through one of the openings created by the door, followed by Derak, N, and Skull. Within moments, the group found themselves on a large battlefield.

“So, you know how this works, right?” Janine asked. “Three-on-three single battle, only challenger does substitutions?”

“Yeah, sure,” Derak shrugged. “Let’s just go.”

“Sounds good to me!” Janine cried, bounding over to her side of the arena as Derak trudged over to his. “Okay, let’s get this started!”

Derak grimaced. There were four Pokemon in his party, but because of his trade with Sarah yesterday, he only had three that he could use. And one of them was less-than-usable due to both its temperament and condition. Still, due to the process of elimination, he had little other choice, particularly after the incident with Rotom in the Pokemon Center.

“I’m going to start with the first Pokemon I ever got!” Janine cried. “Venonat, let’s go!”

A small Pokemon covered in purple fuzz appeared out of Janine’s first Pokeball, landing on small tan feet and twitching its long white antennae. Its large red eyes stared at Derak, clicking its mandibles slightly.

“Venonat,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Insect Pokemon. Type is Bug and Poison. Its large eyes are actually clusters of tiny eyes. At night, its kind is drawn to light.”

“Well…might as well get this part over with,” Derak winced, reluctantly removing the Safari Ball from his belt. “Strike, come on out.”

Strike began glaring the second it materialized on the field. It glanced over at N and Skull, the latter giving it the sort of look that demanded to know what it wanted. N’s face, however, wore a growing unease. This Scyther had heavily bandaged wings, and yet it was being made to battle?

“Uh, are you sure this is your first choice?” Janine asked, evidently thinking on a similar wavelength as N. “I mean, your Scyther’s wings…”

“Oh, trust me, if you saw this guy yesterday, you wouldn’t think that injured wings were any kind of hindrance,” Derak said. “Can we get this started?”

“Well, okay,” Janine blinked. “Venonat, use Poisonpowder!”

Venonat’s antennae began twitching again, and soon its entire body began to shudder violently. The Insect Pokemon’s fuzz began to release a cloud of purple dust, which drifted lazily towards Strike. The Mantis Pokemon, however, was completely unconcerned, and even went as far as to scoff at the incoming “attack”.

“Okay, Strike, dodge it and—” Derak began, but a wad of saliva suddenly landed at his feet. Strike managed to wipe its remaining spit off of its lip and turned back to the advancing Poisonpowder, formulating its own strategy.

The Scyther held out its blades, and began slashing wildly at the air in front of it. Although this unusual tactic initially appeared to be ineffective, this changed when the Poisonpowder began to be blown away. Using the small bursts of wind generated by its slashes, Strike soon cleared the Poisonpowder out of the arena.

Venonat looked straight at Strike and released a rainbow-colored beam from its eyes. The Scyther, however, briefly glared at Derak before a smirk came across its face. Rather than block or dispel the attack, Strike instead side-stepped…

…and allowed the Psybeam to strike Derak in the chest.

“Oh, crud!” Janine cried. “Derak, are you all right? Sorry about that!”

Before Derak could finish, Strike leapt straight up and somehow vanished into the rafters.

“Oh, crud…we might be in trouble,” Janine grimaced, knowing well the advantage that Strike had just attained for itself. “Venonat, track it down with Foresight!”

A red glow came over Venonat’s eyes as the Insect Pokemon scanned the ceiling for Strike. A cry of rage from above interrupted the search, and before either Derak or Janine could react, Strike plummeted down from the rafters directly above Venonat, its blades wide in preparation for an X-scissor.

“Vennoh?!” Venonat cried just before Strike slammed it into the hardwood floor. Only a resistance to Bug-type move saved Venonat, but even then the Insect Pokemon struggled to rise.

“Sccyy,” Strike smirked deviously, its blades elongating and taking on a purple glow.

Venonat quickly rolled out of Strike’s reach, then righted itself and hopped away. It looked behind it just long enough to see if its foe was pursuing it…

…only to bump into Strike’s foot.

“Veno-nat!” gasped the Poison-type, stumbling back onto its rear. Strike grinned darkly as it raised its blades up, preparing to bring them down.

“Strike, NO!” Derak cried. “H-how does that make you any better than whoever broke your wings?!”

Strike stopped.

Venonat stared fearfully at the Scyther, the Mantis Pokemon slowly lowering its blades to its sides and deactivating its Night Slash. Strike heaved a ragged sigh, and after giving Venonat a brief glance, punted it back to Janine’s side of the field.

“Okay, Strike…going nuts like that isn’t going to get you any fans,” Derak said sternly. Strike, however, barely even acknowledged him. It simply scowled at Janine, awaiting her next Pokemon.

“Boy…that Scyther sure is something,” Janine grimaced her teeth. “How long ago did you catch it?”

“Day before yesterday,” Derak said. “Why?”

“Haven’t had a lot of time to train it, have you?” Janine said. “That would explain why it isn’t listening.”

“…do I even want to know how training makes Pokemon listen to—” Derak began, but the realization hit him. “Oh, no. No way am I treating my Pokemon like unfeeling drones just to get what I want!”

“…scy?” Strike blinked. It never expected to hear such words from any trainer, let alone Derak. And, judging by Janine’s expression, neither did she.

“Uh…that’s not really what I meant, but…whatever,” she shrugged, preparing a second Pokeball. “Time to bust out a ninja’s best friend. Go, Koffing!”

Janine’s second Pokemon was rather simple in appearance, being a floating purple sphere covered in holes. Its only distinguishing features were a lazy eyes and a cartoonish yellow skull-and-crossbones underneath its widely-grinning mouth.

“Koffing,” the Dex identified, “the Poison Gas Pokemon. Type is Poison. Toxic gas is held within its thin, balloon-shaped body, so it can cause massive explosions.”

“Uh…how exactly is a living bomb supposed to be a ninja’s best friend?” Derak asked in utter bewilderment.

“Let me show you,” Janine smirked. “Koffing, use Smokescreen!”

Koffing inhaled deeply, somehow bloating itself up in the process. Rather than exhale the air back out, however, it instead caused a thick black smoke to billow out from the various holes on its body. Strike began thrashing about in an attempt to disperse the smoke like it did with Venonat’s Poisonpowder, but Koffing was producing too much smoke at too rapid a rate.

“Now, Koffing, let’s turn the tables!” Janine cried. “Use Gyro Ball!”

Koffing began spinning rapidly, a silver line forming across its body. With Strike unable to see where it was coming from, the Poison Gas Pokemon was free to ram its spinning body directly into Strike’s stomach. As if that blow was not enough, Koffing rocketed away from Strike only to come back and slam into the Bug-type’s side, knocking it out of the Smokescreen and onto the floor.

“Like that?” Janine smirked. “Gyro Ball is a move that gets stronger if the user is slower than the target, and as useful as Koffing can be, it’s pretty slow, too. Koffing, let’s give that Scyther a taste of its own medicine! Use Sludge Bomb!”

Rather than perform a preparatory inhalation, Koffing simply spat out a wad of slime that exploded upon contact with Strike’s body. The Scyther was sent skidding across the floor, and although its wings were thankfully untouched, the Mantis Pokemon was nonetheless defeated.

“Strike!” Derak cried, rushing out to his Pokemon’s side. “Hey, you all right?”

Strike, although beaten, was still conscious. With the last of its strength, it looked over towards Derak.

“…scy…ther? Scy,” Strike groaned before it passed out.

“I’ll get you healed as soon as we’re done here, I promise,” Derak said as he recalled Strike. He then returned to his end of the field and, knowing that the score was now even, steeled his resolve. “Okay…Koffing’s got a trick for anything that’s fast, and there’s still a Smokescreen giving sight issues…so…Echo, let’s go!”

“Oh, cool!” Janine cried upon seeing Derak’s Zubat. “No wonder you were asking so much about Crobat! Okay, Koffing, time to step up our game! Use Gyro Ball!”

“Echo, Double Team!”

Koffing began to spin again, but this time Echo created a dozen replica Zubats before the Poison Gas Pokemon could connect its attack. Upon noticing Echo’s tactic, Koffing stopped and began looking around intently, clearly having been trained to try and see through such evasive tactics.

“Okay, Echo, follow up with Supersonic!” Derak cried.

Every one of the Zubat clones began emitting a series of sound waves from its mouth. Each sound wave from each Zubat made contact with Koffing, and despite the sphere’s efforts to block out the noise, its senses were nonetheless scrambled. It fell to the ground, rolling about in a daze as Janine could only look on.

“Koffing, no!” she cried. “Come on, use Gyro Ball!”

Koffing did attempt to use Gyro Ball, but as it levitated into the air and powered up its attack, its confused state led it to dive into the floor.

“Okay, I think we might have this!” Derak cried. “Echo, use Zen Headbutt!”

“Say what?!” Janine cried, recognizing the Psychic-type move Echo was about to use. “Koffing, you have to snap out of it! Use Gyro Ball!”

Koffing gave itself a shake and prepared its latest Gyro Ball, but before it could execute the attack, the dome of energy produced by Echo’s Zen Headbutt rammed into Koffing’s face. The blow was clearly effective, sending the Poison Gas Pokemon tumbling back to Janine, but it was apparently not enough to fully defeat Koffing.

Rather than spit slime like it did against Strike, Koffing instead exhaled a jet of fire. Echo, however, spat a ball of darkness that sliced through Koffing’s Flamethrower and struck the Poison Gas Pokemon head-on. This last blow was evidently too much for Koffing, and the spherical Poison-type fell to the floor in defeat.

Janine threw her Pokeball into the air, and released a completely unexpected Pokemon. Its blue feet landed on the floor, and an intimidating croak was the first noise it made.

It was the Toxicroak from the P1 Grand Prix.

“No way,” Derak gasped. “That Toxicroak was YOURS?”

“Yep!” Janine cried. “See, sometimes I have to go out and train my Pokemon in public, but since I’m the Gym Leader, I’ll just get swarmed if I go out without some kind of disguise.”

“So you wear a big cloak?” Derak blinked.

“Hey, a ninja girl’s gotta have her privacy,” Janine shrugged. “Ready to roll?”

“I guess,” Derak shrugged. “Echo, use Shadow Ball!”

“Toxicroak, Sucker Punch!” Janine cried.

Echo prepared another Shadow Ball, but before it could release its attack, Toxicroak rushed up and struck the Bat Pokemon with enough force to send it reeling. Derak grimaced, knowing that Toxicroak could be tricky to beat if it could move that quickly.

Derak’s Flying-type again split into numerous copies, prompting Toxicroak to stop for a moment. The Toxic Mouth Pokemon slowly scanned the Zubats, seeking the true one.

“Now, hit it with Zen Headbutt!” Derak cried.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Janine yelled. “Toxicroak, Protect!”

The Zubats all lunged forth as one, but their attack was barred by a green energy bubble that surrounded Toxicroak’s body. Every single one of Echo’s duplicates slammed head-first into the Protect, all the false ones disappearing as the real one fluttered about in a daze. Recognizing its target, Toxicroak swiftly thrust its Poison Jab into Echo’s stomach, sending the lightweight Flying-type sailing over Derak’s head and into a wall.

“Echo!” Derak cried. “Crap…return. Hey, you did your best, we were just taken off-guard.”

“What do you think of him so far?” N asked Skull, the both of them sitting on the sidelines.

“Eh,” Skull grunted with a shrug.

“Indifferent as always?” N smirked.

“He’s kinda lame,” Skull muttered. “And he’s still a complete moron.”

“I feel differently about that,” N said. “He seems to genuinely care for his Pokemon. But I wish to speak to his Scyther when this is over…”

With two Pokemon defeated, Derak held up Wildfire’s orange Pokeball. At this stage, his starter was the only option.

“Well…here goes everything,” Derak sighed. “Wildfire, let’s go!”

“A Chimchar?” Janine gulped. Despite its having a neutral type matchup against her Toxicroak, Wildfire’s presence on the field seemed make her uneasy. “Okay, then, Toxicroak, let’s finish this up fast. Use Poison Jab!”

“Dodge and use Thunderpunch!” Derak cried.

Toxicroak quickly bounded into the fray, its latest Poison Jab ready to strike. Its intended target, however, performed a backwards somersault that allowed for agile evasion. Before Toxicroak could continue its assault, Wildfire sprang forth and slammed an electrical fist directly into the space between the Poison-type’s eyes. Toxicroak stumbled back, rubbing the spot where it had been struck.

“Come on, Toxicroak, you can do this!” Janine cried. “Snap out of it!”

Toxicroak lunged forth, its attack hitting Wildfire hard enough to send it into the air. Although it began to flail about helplessly, the Chimchar stopped panicking when it noticed a rafter coming into reach. With the dexterity of a true primate, Wildfire snatched a rafter in hand and ducked into the darkness.

“Ugh, again?!” Janine pouted. “And I thought ninjas were the only ones to make use of the shadows…”

A faint glow could now be seen in the darkness, something that Toxicroak took to mean that Wildfire’s attack was imminent. It quickly formed a Protect shield around itself, waiting for the blow to come…

…but nothing came.

“Huh?” Janine blinked. “Where is it?”

“Croak?” Toxicroak grunted as it stared intently at the ember in the dark. Another moment passed in which no attack was launched, and thus Toxicroak lowered its Protect shield.

And then Derak smirked.

“Wildfire, do it now!” he cried.

The ember was indeed Wildfire’s flame, and the Chimchar came barreling out of the shadows with a Flame Wheel blazing brightly. Toxicroak hurriedly tried to put up another Protect, but could only produce a fizzle of sparks due to its inability to use Protect twice in a row. With nothing to shield it, Toxicroak was helpless as Wildfire dove straight into it, shoving it across the floor.

“Char…?” Wildfire blinked. It looked to Derak, then to Toxicroak, and then back to Derak again. It gave him a nod, but tried its best to suppress a smile. “Char, chim-char.”

N smiled as well, but glanced to Janine’s Toxicroak. The Toxic Mouth Pokemon was struggling to rise, burns covering its body. It managed to stand, but was clearly unwell.

“Great,” Janine grimaced. “This is why I hate Dry Skin…Toxicroak, we’ve got one last chance! Jump into the rafters!”

Toxicroak managed to comply with its orders, leaping into the shadows just as Wildfire and Strike had done earlier. With its ninja training taking effect, the Poison-type was now completely obscured by darkness.

“Crap,” Derak muttered. “We can’t shoot an Ember up there, this place is made completely out of wood…can’t risk a fire hurting anything.”

Rather than make the defensive error that Toxicroak had made, Derak instead opted to have Wildfire attack. As such, the Chimchar adopted its blazing somersault as Toxicroak plunged out of the darkness. The two attacks collided fiercely, but Toxicroak began to wince upon coming into contact with Wildfire’s Flame Wheel. Eventually, Flame Wheel won out, and Toxicroak fell to the ground in defeat.

As Janine approached Derak with congratulations and a vaguely heart-shaped Badge, N allowed a smile to cross his face.

“This boy…he is different,” N said. “But…that may be a good thing.”

****

“Okay, can someone explain to me why a Poison-type Gym gives out a Badge called the Soul Badge?” Derak asked once his group was reunited in the Pokemon Center. “Because I don’t get it. At all.”

“I never bother with such competitive garbage,” Garth grunted.

“Nor do I,” N sighed. “I dislike seeing Pokemon fight one another.”

“…so why did you watch mine fight Janine’s?” Derak asked. “You could have just held off on the battle until you got Zekrom back.”

“I could only hear the voices of your Pokemon if they battled at their fullest,” N replied. “Only then, in a stressful situation, would I know if their feelings would true. And I needed to know as soon as possible, given…recent events.”

“So…what do they say?” Derak asked. “I’d kinda like to know if they hate the food I give them or something like that.”

“Hardly,” Garth snarled, casting a glare at the former Plasma king. “But I do know how to recognize a look of rage…and I believe that we can work out a deal.”

“Okay, shoot,” Derak said. Even Strike looked interested, although Skull still remained indifferent.

“If Scyther remains here in Fuchsia City,” Garth began, “then its chances of finding the monster that injured its wings are severely lessened. By continuing to travel with Derak, Scyther will not only have a greater chance of finding its nemesis, but also of gaining enough strength to take its revenge.”

“Sounds good to me,” Derak shrugged. “What do you think, Strike?”

At first, Strike appeared surprised that Derak was considering its opinion. Once it recovered, however, it mulled over its options, weighing each one. Eventually, after a moment, it made a decision…

“Okay, Strike…glad to have you on the team,” Derak said. “I would do a handshake, but…”

Strike looked down at its bladed arms, and sighed.

It already regretted its decision to put up with this imbecile.

****

Back at the Fuchsia Gym, Janine poured over the book from which the pages relating to Kotaro Fuma were missing. She studied the torn areas carefully, attempting to find some clue as to who committed the theft, or how it was done. As time went on, however, she find that her attempts ended in failure. She was simply no detective, and even if she were, the theft was too perfectly calculated to be traceable.

Little did she know that her questions could be answered by one man. This man was currently standing at a port in Vermillion City, clutching several pieces of torn paper a metallic right hand. In his other hand was a ticket marked “SLATEPORT CITY”, which he flashed at a sailor to inform him of his status as an official passenger.

The man’s flowing gold-and-purple robe swept across the floor as he made his way toward his seat. He sat down, awaiting the beginning of his journey. As the ship departed, a small blue jellyfish-like Pokemon with a frilled collar began to follow, making sure to keep track of its master.

“Frilll-iiiiish,” trilled the jellyfish, knowing that its master’s plan was going to be set in motion soon.

Great!
Like how chimchar is FINALLY loosening up. NINJA! NINJA! NINJANINJANINJANINJANINJANINJANINJANINJA!
Hope we get more info on how Nobunga wronged Garh.

Last edited by Rotomknight; 31st January 2013 at 12:31 PM.

They say if you press cntrl and W you get to see the programming of a website after making a signature with 3 ws and 8qs
Fanfics I like that are still in production: Author's Run, Pokémon emerald the better version

Alright, first off with a bit of honesty; I clicked here for the Review Games. Also, though less related, because it is late and I do not have class tomorrow and examining structures of stories is some of my favourite thing to do. I'll be doing just the first chapter, which I apologize for seeing how much you've written, but I just don't really have the time and concentration to give in-depth review to all of it.

As far as I know, I'll be writing this review as if the first chapter is one thing; that is, I will look at how it does things like explain a character's actions, any symbolism, whether things are interesting and enjoyable, etc. Mostly because I've honestly no idea whether I'll really want to continue reading by the end, and besides basic changes I don't really enjoy re-structuring a review post-reading.

The very beginning seems very slightly stilted. It's not overt, or even easy to explain; "The owner of the footsteps" and "golden lining fitting of royalty" just seem the slightest bit awkward, as if their average sentence-structure is contrasting their dramatic tone. Not really sure if I get the point across here, but I expect this to change anyway. (Note: it did. Good work (: )

(Sidenote - this beginning reminds me of The Gunslinger by Stephen King, which is wonderful)

Elsewhere in Orre, where the winds blew more softly, a young boy of ten years stood outside the sandy brick walls of his native Phenac City, his sapphire eyes radiating a soft but noticeable coldness.

I think this sentence would sound better if you split it in half. It would better complement the dramatic tone of the piece so far with brevity, and as it is it may be a run-on sentence. Apart from this, I didn't see any sort of sentence structure errors, though that may be attributable to being more interested in reading as it went on. But I love the description here. "Where the winds blew more softly" gave me a perfect mental image of the scene, with so few words.

The description right after this seems close to the dangerous side of 'show, don't tell', though that's more of a rule of thumb usually. I mostly point this out because I, as a reader, rather dislike the technique of describing characters' physical features all at once, after having seen it so much.

I rather like how you introduce the concept of Pokemon. Most writers tend to skip over it, since the readers already know about them, but you've used it here as a way to set the tone and style of the piece, subtly.

Your characters are described with some distance between themselves and their body parts, it looks like. "The owner of the footsteps", "the eyes that peered out from within". This is definitely one of those subtle factors that affects how the story is viewed, and I for one think it works here.

Krane making a deal out of Anoch Kadir being a 'wealthy businessman' feels sort of like a flimsy excuse to show Derak's heritage. We haven't seen exactly how wealthy he is, in any fashion, so we're simply relying on exposition for the whole thing. This makes the exposition feel blunter than it would otherwise, if we'd seen that his father was rich in some other way before here. Maybe it would feel a little better if Krane hadn't immediately recognized a name that is supposedly fairly common (in our world, at least), but that's not really the main issue.

Derak spilling his beans to the professor also feels uncharacteristically open for him, considering we've been told he 'barely acknowledged' the professor and whose character is told as 'unusually bitter and resentful'. It explains his motivation and logic, but feels a bit heavy-handed, if you know what I mean.

If Krane's lack of preparation involves directly leading new trainers to their choice of fifteen Pokemon personally, I've no idea what he could do on a planned day. Throw a party? This is just something that jumped into my head.

As an on-going compliment, I appreciate your brevity in the overall presentation of the story. Too often a story will drag its slow beginning out too long (sometimes I feel my own writing is this way), but you seem to skip that idea and get straight to people talking, things happening.

I feel like your battle descriptions are good, but the mechanics of them are too unnatural for it. You have Chimchar being able to (logically) breathe fire at this point, but then you jump into how the Chimchar only knows two moves here, which feels distinctly game-canon. On the flipside, I am curious to know how the stranger knew this, and whether this knowledge is somehow related to him coming for vengeance.

The antagonist, while an effective driving force, seems cartoonishly evil here. His motivations are unknown and avoided, and his actions seem more to the effect of "How evil can he be before it stops the story", rather than a more realistic goal-based character decision process. This is most apparent to me when I compare the fact that he stopped Sableye from hurting Derak but then hurts the boy himself, making him more personally evil in the process while not really changing anything outcome-wise.

The change of scenery at the end was a bit jarring, I find. I'd been expecting Derak to be staying in Orre, but with the revelation of heading towards Kanto, I get the feeling that this chapter was just an unsubtle introduction of the main character, the villain, and a way for the main character to have a Pokemon not normally found within his region of choice. I know it's not a very fair assumption to make, but it was my immediate thought when I learned he was switching regions, and there wasn't really anything to persuade me to the opposite. Perhaps the familial conflict, but again - this just gives off a vibe of being an easy way for the main character to angst about family without actually having to interact with them anymore.

There wasn't really anything hooking me into the next chapter. This seemed more like an appropriate lull to pause the story at, rather than a point made to keep the reader on-edge for the next update. Which, of course, has its own positives, but I feel like a first chapter should try to keep the reader intrigued in the present. Though it feels somewhat hypocritical to say that, considering my own story does something similar.

I hope you don't take my words harshly. While I tried to only mention each 'catagory' of topic on once, I have too much focus on things I see as errors or problems in stories. Your style, description, and pace are wonderful, and with practice I think you can easily learn a greater degree of subtlety in character and plot.

I'm unsure of whether I'll be following this, since I've got to catch up on a lot of reading and schoolwork casts a long shadow, but I'll keep it in mind when I have time for reading new stories. Good luck!

“Well if you’re going to act like a reptile you can find success all kinds of ways. Lie, cheat and steal your way to the top if you don’t care for the well-being of those around you.”

A boy and his frog, venturing across the lands in search of sister and glory.

Rotomknight: There will be more of Wildfire loosening up later on. And you'll be getting your wish regarding Nobunaga and Garth very soon. XD

Air Dragon:

Poor old Derak. Doesn't seem to get any respect. Even if he DID trade off Brute for a Happiny, at least give him a little credit...

Why? XD

Glad you enjoyed the chapter, though. Hopefully you'll enjoy the Saffron arc as well: the crap hits the fan there.

IJuggler:

Alright, first off with a bit of honesty; I clicked here for the Review Games. Also, though less related, because it is late and I do not have class tomorrow and examining structures of stories is some of my favourite thing to do. I'll be doing just the first chapter, which I apologize for seeing how much you've written, but I just don't really have the time and concentration to give in-depth review to all of it.

Don't worry about it: the Review Game is the only way I can get myself to read more fics these days. XD And I would be doing the exact same thing you're doing if I just starting on reading a fic with almost 30 chapters.

The very beginning seems very slightly stilted. It's not overt, or even easy to explain; "The owner of the footsteps" and "golden lining fitting of royalty" just seem the slightest bit awkward, as if their average sentence-structure is contrasting their dramatic tone. Not really sure if I get the point across here, but I expect this to change anyway. (Note: it did. Good work (: )

I think the awkwardness of wording came from my attempts to make it sound dramatic. I'm glad it got better later, though. XD

I think this sentence would sound better if you split it in half. It would better complement the dramatic tone of the piece so far with brevity, and as it is it may be a run-on sentence. Apart from this, I didn't see any sort of sentence structure errors, though that may be attributable to being more interested in reading as it went on. But I love the description here. "Where the winds blew more softly" gave me a perfect mental image of the scene, with so few words.

You're probably right about the split sentence. Going to need to try and remember that.

Also, thanks for the praise on description. I actually feel that description is one of my weaker areas, so to hear that I'm improving (to some degree) is always good.

The description right after this seems close to the dangerous side of 'show, don't tell', though that's more of a rule of thumb usually. I mostly point this out because I, as a reader, rather dislike the technique of describing characters' physical features all at once, after having seen it so much.

You know, you're right: I should really try to have some gradual description. I think I managed it (to some extent) in my new one-shot Break It Down, but I'm not sure if I actually succeeded just yet.

Also, I'm assuming the dangerous side of "show, don't tell" is the "tell" part? If so, then I admit that my description does tend to stray into that area at times (which is something I need to work on). Thanks for pointing it out so I can have something to come back to for reminders!

I rather like how you introduce the concept of Pokemon. Most writers tend to skip over it, since the readers already know about them, but you've used it here as a way to set the tone and style of the piece, subtly.

Thanks! That intro style has actually become something of my "status quo" of sorts. Back when I first started (and actually read fics more), I found some reviews of fics where description was lacking, some of which said "What's a Pokeball? What does it look like?" or "Okay, you said that there's a yellow Pokemon by his side, and I'm picturing a yellow blob". I tried to take this advice to heart, and even though I don't exactly succeed every time, my "world of Pokemon" intro might be one of the times when I get it right.

Krane making a deal out of Anoch Kadir being a 'wealthy businessman' feels sort of like a flimsy excuse to show Derak's heritage. We haven't seen exactly how wealthy he is, in any fashion, so we're simply relying on exposition for the whole thing. This makes the exposition feel blunter than it would otherwise, if we'd seen that his father was rich in some other way before here. Maybe it would feel a little better if Krane hadn't immediately recognized a name that is supposedly fairly common (in our world, at least), but that's not really the main issue.

Derak spilling his beans to the professor also feels uncharacteristically open for him, considering we've been told he 'barely acknowledged' the professor and whose character is told as 'unusually bitter and resentful'. It explains his motivation and logic, but feels a bit heavy-handed, if you know what I mean.

Definitely know what you mean. That part was fairly exposition-heavy and strayed more into "tell" than "show", so it's another thing that I'll need to keep track of in the future.

If Krane's lack of preparation involves directly leading new trainers to their choice of fifteen Pokemon personally, I've no idea what he could do on a planned day. Throw a party? This is just something that jumped into my head.

I feel like your battle descriptions are good, but the mechanics of them are too unnatural for it. You have Chimchar being able to (logically) breathe fire at this point, but then you jump into how the Chimchar only knows two moves here, which feels distinctly game-canon. On the flipside, I am curious to know how the stranger knew this, and whether this knowledge is somehow related to him coming for vengeance.

What I was trying to do with Wildfire was mix the anime and games to some degree. In the anime, every starter has a weak same-type attack at their disposal, while the games just start them off with Scratch/Tackle/Pound and a stat-lowering/raising move.

Also, the stranger knowing about that is partially due to being a trainer himself and partially due to it being generally common knowledge.

The antagonist, while an effective driving force, seems cartoonishly evil here. His motivations are unknown and avoided, and his actions seem more to the effect of "How evil can he be before it stops the story", rather than a more realistic goal-based character decision process. This is most apparent to me when I compare the fact that he stopped Sableye from hurting Derak but then hurts the boy himself, making him more personally evil in the process while not really changing anything outcome-wise.

Yeah...cartoonish villains (while generally acceptable in the context of the anime) are kind of a problem for me. Granted, the stranger technically isn't a villain, but still...again, something I'll need to work on (since I'm planning for a new fic's villain who is supposed to be the farthest thing from cartoonish).

The change of scenery at the end was a bit jarring, I find. I'd been expecting Derak to be staying in Orre, but with the revelation of heading towards Kanto, I get the feeling that this chapter was just an unsubtle introduction of the main character, the villain, and a way for the main character to have a Pokemon not normally found within his region of choice. I know it's not a very fair assumption to make, but it was my immediate thought when I learned he was switching regions, and there wasn't really anything to persuade me to the opposite. Perhaps the familial conflict, but again - this just gives off a vibe of being an easy way for the main character to angst about family without actually having to interact with them anymore.

Honestly, there wasn't much I could do with Orre journey-wise. There's a colosseum circuit, but it's WAY above the level of a beginning trainer, so I chose to send him to Kanto instead. I could probably have adjusted the strength level of the colosseums for the purposes of this fic, but this had been in the planning stages for a few years...and some plans are a little tricky to go back on.

There wasn't really anything hooking me into the next chapter. This seemed more like an appropriate lull to pause the story at, rather than a point made to keep the reader on-edge for the next update. Which, of course, has its own positives, but I feel like a first chapter should try to keep the reader intrigued in the present. Though it feels somewhat hypocritical to say that, considering my own story does something similar.

I actually agree on the subject of a first chapter, and I clearly didn't accomplish that goal with this one. I may have corrected this problem with the first chapter of the fic immediately following this one (release-wise), but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

I hope you don't take my words harshly. While I tried to only mention each 'catagory' of topic on once, I have too much focus on things I see as errors or problems in stories. Your style, description, and pace are wonderful, and with practice I think you can easily learn a greater degree of subtlety in character and plot.

No, it's fine. You had a decent balance of praise and criticism (although I am dreading to know what some people will think of later chapters. XD), and you clearly fulfilled the Review Game requirements perfectly. Thanks for the encouragement, too.

I'm unsure of whether I'll be following this, since I've got to catch up on a lot of reading and schoolwork casts a long shadow, but I'll keep it in mind when I have time for reading new stories. Good luck!

If you do decide to follow, a quick warning: due to my own schoolwork difficulties, there tends to be a fairly large time gap between chapters these days. Just to let you know. Thanks for the well-wishes, though!

I bet I can guess who is going to be an important figure in this chapter.

“Man…how’d Nobunaga do that, anyway?” Derak complained hoarsely, massaging his throat. “People don’t just get tossed around like sports balls.”

It was a short while after Derak, Garth, and N battled Nobunaga. Derak had since recovered from being knocked unconscious during the fight, much to his Chimchar’s relief. At the moment, however, the three humans—plus N’s Marowak—sat at a table in the Pokemon Center lobby. Garth’s Electivire stood by the table, and Wildfire sat in Derak’s lap.

Boy, seeing Skull referred to as "N's Marowak" is a little unsettling for someone like me who's seen his story go on for a long time.

“It does not matter how Nobunaga did anything he was able to do,” Garth said. “The fact remains that he has gained a massive advantage because of his Linking with Zekrom.”

“Yes…and I am partially to blame,” N sighed. His Marowak looked as if it were about to say something, but N subtly shot it a cautionary glance. Remembering the agreement it had with its current trainer, the Marowak reluctantly remained silent.

“How’s this your fault?” Derak asked. “You didn’t exactly give Zekrom away, and Nobunaga would probably have found it no matter where you went.”

“Indeed,” Garth nodded. “He most likely saw the same news broadcast that I did.”

“That must have been when Zekrom and I were flying beneath the cloud cover,” N sighed. “I wish we could have stayed above the clouds for the entire flight…but oxygen is scarce up there.”

Something strikes me as particularly insidious about Nobunaga using modern technology to further his goals. The sheer anachronism of someone from the feudal era using a television gives me a chill when put in this context.

“Regardless, we need to determine a counter-strategy,” Garth said gruffly. “If we can remove Zekrom from the equation, we will have a chance at defeating Nobunaga.”

“Believe it or not, Skull here has dealt with Pokemon with greater strength than Zekrom,” N smiled, nodding to his Marowak. “If we have to defeat Zekrom to break the Link, then that is what we must do, as much as I wish otherwise.”

Yes, it would take Skull to defeat a Pokemon like Zekrom, wouldn't it? I think you and I both know what he's capable of.

N will probably need to try to reconnect with Zekrom at the same time, though.

“Marowak,” Derak’s Pokedex reported upon being pointed at Skull, much to the lizard’s annoyance, “the Bone Keeper Pokemon. Type is Ground. Evolved form of Cubone. From its birth, this savage Pokemon constantly holds bones. It is skilled in using them as weapons.”

“You may place too much faith in one Pokemon,” Garth snorted.

“I have other friends who will help us,” N said. “Even so, I can’t deny that it will be difficult…but I will do whatever it takes to bring my friend Zekrom back.”

“We may as well go now,” Garth said. “Your Chimchar has been healed, and I trust you know what Pokemon you will be using.”

“More or less,” Derak shrugged. “Let’s go find the Gym so we can get this over with.”

I was about to comment on how unpleasant Derak is being today, but then I remembered what just happened with Nobunaga. Good job keeping his emotions appropriate and consistent.

Derak and Garth were the first to leave. N and Skull soon left as well, but as they followed the former two, N looked to his Marowak.

“Skull,” he said in a low voice, “I realize that you have wonderful ideas to contribute, and that you will surely see things we humans will not, but…”

“I know, I know,” Skull sighed. “If I speak human in front of losers like these, then everyone starts freaking out and going ‘ooh, talking Pokemon, let’s enslave it because we clearly have nothing better to do’. So I have to keep my mouth shut, or else I draw even MORE unnecessary attention than Zekrom’s gotten lately.”

Now that's a nice bit of character growth that only someone who's followed Skull's travails like me will catch. It's good to see that he finally figured out the 'ooh, talking Pokemon' thing.

“…something like that,” N slowly said with a nervous smile. “What do you think of these two?”

“Derak’s one of the biggest idiots I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen plenty,” Skull snorted. “Garth’s a little smarter, but he’s borderline psycho.”

“His rage is well-earned, though,” N replied. “I’ve seen what Nobunaga did to him when I made contact with Nobunaga’s mind while we were inside Zekrom’s. No one should have to go through that…no matter how much you might hate them.”

“I suppose,” Skull grunted. “Honestly, though, I’d rather just beat Nobunaga’s head in and call it a day.”

“If only it were that simple,” N sighed. “Still, if we can give Nobunaga the battle he wants…then you may be able to get what you want.”

I sincerely hope that's some great foreshadowing.

The group eventually came upon the dojo Gym, a plain but intricate wooden structure in the southeast portion of Fuchsia City. Derak made to go in, N and Skull following, but stopped for a moment.

Derak seems strangely detached from things here. I get that his Gym battle is important, but if you think about it, getting Zekrom back is even more urgent.

The boy pushed his way inside the Gym, N and Skull in tow. Once they entered, however, it was clear that something was wrong. The entirety of the inner Gym was vacant, and finding the Gym Leader was a task made near-impossible by the network of passages that twisted in every direction.

Interesting that you seem to have gone with regular walls instead of the invisible ones from the games.

“Sheesh,” Derak muttered. “This place looked smaller on the outside.”

“I have heard that this building was designed by Pokemon trainers who have mastered the art of Ninjutsu,” N said. “We should be wary of hidden traps.”

“…is there a reason that someone who headed a knight-obsessed group knows so much about ninjas?” Derak blinked.

“Ghetsis had a small team of ninjas, known as the Shadow Triad, perform delicate operations,” N replied.

...you know, that makes way more sense than I thought it would. N would probably know about ninjas from his extensive education anyway, but that logic is perfect.

“Hang on, why would there be ninjas in a team that’s supposed to be focused around knights and medieval stuff?” Derak asked. “That just seems really out of nowhere.”

Suddenly, a dark-garbed figure shot out of the rafters and landed in front of Derak, N, and Skull. Initially in a crouched position, the figure soon stood and revealed itself to be a young woman who appeared to be in her early teens.

“…speaking of things coming out of nowhere,” Derak sighed, N drifting back a bit for fear of being recognized. Skull remained up front, narrowing his eyes as he regarded the new arrival.

“You don’t seem too surprised,” the girl said, running a hand through her spiky purple ponytail. “Most challengers jump out of their skins when I do that.”

“Let’s just say that I’m getting used to crazy surprises at this point,” Derak shrugged. “I take it you’re the Gym Leader?”

“Yep,” the girl nodded. “Name’s Janine. My father, Koga, was the original Gym Leader before he was promoted to the Elite Four. What about you?”

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of the maze, if she just jumps out and greets them?

“Derak,” the challenger shrugged. Despite his casual demeanor, his name appeared to have piqued Janine’s interest.

“…hang on, you said your name was Derak?” she asked. “By any chance, your last name isn’t ‘Kadir’, is it?”

The young Gym Leader took Derak through several passages, eventually coming to what seemed to be a dead end. Janine, however, placed her hand on a portion of the wall, which then sunk into the wall. Once the hidden panel was pressed, a small door slid open, revealing several scrolls and books inside.

Now that is a neat bit of detail.

“Everything here is a chronicle of my ancestry, tracing all the way back to the ancient war over Arceus,” Janine said, pulling out a scroll and unraveling it. On it were numerous ancient characters and pictures, including one of an armored woman who stood alongside a four-winged bat with flat teeth. “This is my ancestor from Ransei, Nene. Next to her is her partner Pokemon, Crobat.”

Nene as Janine's ancestor is brilliant. You really did your research on this one, and you're better off for it.

“Crobat?” Derak repeated, looking over the image of Nene’s Pokemon.

“Yeah, don’t you know?” Janine said. “Crobat is the final evolution of Zubat, a Pokemon that’s been in my family ever since Nene’s time.”

“Well, first it has to evolve into Golbat through experience,” Janine corrected, “and then it evolves into Crobat once it forges a strong bond with its trainer. But, yeah, Zubat eventually evolves into Crobat.”

It's a good thing, really. You're doing an excellent job merging the story and people of Conquest into the main universe.

“Oh…I see,” N sighed, bowing his head slightly.

“Hey, cheer up! Listen, there’s this hilarious story in here!” Janine said, pulling out the book and flipping through several pages. “One time, before the whole war started, most of the other ninjas were in this argument about who was the best. So Nene made them all battle for it, and even jumped in for the fun of it! Hang on, let me see if I can show you the other ninjas…”

She flipped through several more pages, and came to an image of an extremely serious-looking man with a red-eyed purple-bodied creature with a giant grin.

“Next to the Gengar here is Hanzo Hattori, one of the ninjas that Nene roped into battling,” Janine explained. She flipped through several more pages, coming across a young woman with a dark-colored weasel-like Pokemon. “And this is Kunoichi with her Weavile—she’s another one of the ninjas. The last one was…what?!”

“What’s going on?” Derak asked.

“There’s pages missing,” Janine replied, and true enough, several pages appeared to have been completely torn out of the book. “But that’s not possible! My family is the only one I know of who knows how to access these archives!”

I was smiling at Janine's eagerness until everything hit this. This has Nobunaga's fingerprints all over it if you ask me.

“What’s missing?” N asked.

“Just everything relating to the last of the ninjas Nene forced that battle on,” Janine replied. “If I remember correctly…his name was Kotaro Fuma. He and Nene were the only two involved that were actual Warlords: Nene headed the Poison-type kingdom of Viperia, while Kotaro was in charge of the Dark-type kingdom called Yaksha.”

I suddenly get a nervous feeling someone else might be behind it now that Kotaro was brought up, but I won't put it out there just yet...

“But…why would pages about this Kotaro guy be missing?” Derak asked.

“No clue,” Janine replied, “but I’ll need to look into this later. My dad’s going to kill me if he finds out about these missing pages.”

It's not going to be much later, I have a feeling.

She stuffed the book and scroll back into the compartment, which promptly sealed itself.

“So, anyway,” Janine said, turning back to Derak. “Sorry about getting a little off-track there, I just got excited about meeting someone else who’s descended from Ransei warlords. I was looking up all their family trees online, and then I found yours under Nobunaga’s, so…yeah.”

“Yeah,” Derak said slowly. “Listen, I’m glad I’m not the only Ransei kid and all, but can we get on with the Gym battle?”

“Sure, why not?” Janine smiled. “I mean, that IS probably what you came here for. No more distractions. Let’s go.”

Maybe it's just because I was reading another fic with Janine as a major character recently, but I'm just really liking her here. I wish she was more loved in general.

She put her hand on another part of the wall, which caused the entire wall to rotate, revealing itself to be a hidden revolving door. Janine squeezed through one of the openings created by the door, followed by Derak, N, and Skull. Within moments, the group found themselves on a large battlefield.

“So, you know how this works, right?” Janine asked. “Three-on-three single battle, only challenger does substitutions?”

“Yeah, sure,” Derak shrugged. “Let’s just go.”

“Sounds good to me!” Janine cried, bounding over to her side of the arena as Derak trudged over to his. “Okay, let’s get this started!”

Derak grimaced. There were four Pokemon in his party, but because of his trade with Sarah yesterday, he only had three that he could use. And one of them was less-than-usable due to both its temperament and condition. Still, due to the process of elimination, he had little other choice, particularly after the incident with Rotom in the Pokemon Center.

“I’m going to start with the first Pokemon I ever got!” Janine cried. “Venonat, let’s go!”

Now there's a Pokemon I don't see often. It feels like Venonat is largely forgotten in this day and age.

A small Pokemon covered in purple fuzz appeared out of Janine’s first Pokeball, landing on small tan feet and twitching its long white antennae. Its large red eyes stared at Derak, clicking its mandibles slightly.

“Venonat,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Insect Pokemon. Type is Bug and Poison. Its large eyes are actually clusters of tiny eyes. At night, its kind is drawn to light.”

“Well…might as well get this part over with,” Derak winced, reluctantly removing the Safari Ball from his belt. “Strike, come on out.”

Strike began glaring the second it materialized on the field. It glanced over at N and Skull, the latter giving it the sort of look that demanded to know what it wanted. N’s face, however, wore a growing unease. This Scyther had heavily bandaged wings, and yet it was being made to battle?

There are so many things that could go wrong for Derak here. Strike could snap, N clearly and justifiably doesn't like what's going on...

“Uh, are you sure this is your first choice?” Janine asked, evidently thinking on a similar wavelength as N. “I mean, your Scyther’s wings…”

“Oh, trust me, if you saw this guy yesterday, you wouldn’t think that injured wings were any kind of hindrance,” Derak said. “Can we get this started?”

“Well, okay,” Janine blinked. “Venonat, use Poisonpowder!”

Venonat’s antennae began twitching again, and soon its entire body began to shudder violently. The Insect Pokemon’s fuzz began to release a cloud of purple dust, which drifted lazily towards Strike. The Mantis Pokemon, however, was completely unconcerned, and even went as far as to scoff at the incoming “attack”.

“Okay, Strike, dodge it and—” Derak began, but a wad of saliva suddenly landed at his feet. Strike managed to wipe its remaining spit off of its lip and turned back to the advancing Poisonpowder, formulating its own strategy.

The Scyther held out its blades, and began slashing wildly at the air in front of it. Although this unusual tactic initially appeared to be ineffective, this changed when the Poisonpowder began to be blown away. Using the small bursts of wind generated by its slashes, Strike soon cleared the Poisonpowder out of the arena.

Derak is going to need to get Strike under control, but this tactic is quite brilliant.

Venonat looked straight at Strike and released a rainbow-colored beam from its eyes. The Scyther, however, briefly glared at Derak before a smirk came across its face. Rather than block or dispel the attack, Strike instead side-stepped…

…and allowed the Psybeam to strike Derak in the chest.

Now that was a surprise.

“Oh, crud!” Janine cried. “Derak, are you all right? Sorry about that!”

Before Derak could finish, Strike leapt straight up and somehow vanished into the rafters.

“Oh, crud…we might be in trouble,” Janine grimaced, knowing well the advantage that Strike had just attained for itself. “Venonat, track it down with Foresight!”

A red glow came over Venonat’s eyes as the Insect Pokemon scanned the ceiling for Strike. A cry of rage from above interrupted the search, and before either Derak or Janine could react, Strike plummeted down from the rafters directly above Venonat, its blades wide in preparation for an X-scissor.

A neat scene, but I must offer one correction: the move is written as "X-Scissor."

“Vennoh?!” Venonat cried just before Strike slammed it into the hardwood floor. Only a resistance to Bug-type move saved Venonat, but even then the Insect Pokemon struggled to rise.

“Sccyy,” Strike smirked deviously, its blades elongating and taking on a purple glow.

I think you should tone down how many times Janine says "oh, crud." It is a little noticeable.

Venonat quickly rolled out of Strike’s reach, then righted itself and hopped away. It looked behind it just long enough to see if its foe was pursuing it…

…only to bump into Strike’s foot.

“Veno-nat!” gasped the Poison-type, stumbling back onto its rear. Strike grinned darkly as it raised its blades up, preparing to bring them down.

“Strike, NO!” Derak cried. “H-how does that make you any better than whoever broke your wings?!”

Strike stopped.

Venonat stared fearfully at the Scyther, the Mantis Pokemon slowly lowering its blades to its sides and deactivating its Night Slash. Strike heaved a ragged sigh, and after giving Venonat a brief glance, punted it back to Janine’s side of the field.

I guess this answers my earlier question, because Strike went berserk again. I'm surprised it led to a good moment between him and Derak, though. That scene really worked.

“Okay, Strike…going nuts like that isn’t going to get you any fans,” Derak said sternly. Strike, however, barely even acknowledged him. It simply scowled at Janine, awaiting her next Pokemon.

“Boy…that Scyther sure is something,” Janine grimaced her teeth. “How long ago did you catch it?”

“Day before yesterday,” Derak said. “Why?”

“Haven’t had a lot of time to train it, have you?” Janine said. “That would explain why it isn’t listening.”

“…do I even want to know how training makes Pokemon listen to—” Derak began, but the realization hit him. “Oh, no. No way am I treating my Pokemon like unfeeling drones just to get what I want!”

“…scy?” Strike blinked. It never expected to hear such words from any trainer, let alone Derak. And, judging by Janine’s expression, neither did she.

I can't blame them. I'm a little confused too, but I'm sure it works.

“Uh…that’s not really what I meant, but…whatever,” she shrugged, preparing a second Pokeball. “Time to bust out a ninja’s best friend. Go, Koffing!”

Janine’s second Pokemon was rather simple in appearance, being a floating purple sphere covered in holes. Its only distinguishing features were a lazy eyes and a cartoonish yellow skull-and-crossbones underneath its widely-grinning mouth.

“Koffing,” the Dex identified, “the Poison Gas Pokemon. Type is Poison. Toxic gas is held within its thin, balloon-shaped body, so it can cause massive explosions.”

“Uh…how exactly is a living bomb supposed to be a ninja’s best friend?” Derak asked in utter bewilderment.

“Let me show you,” Janine smirked. “Koffing, use Smokescreen!”

Derak, you have no one to blame but yourself for walking right into that one.

Koffing inhaled deeply, somehow bloating itself up in the process. Rather than exhale the air back out, however, it instead caused a thick black smoke to billow out from the various holes on its body. Strike began thrashing about in an attempt to disperse the smoke like it did with Venonat’s Poisonpowder, but Koffing was producing too much smoke at too rapid a rate.

“Now, Koffing, let’s turn the tables!” Janine cried. “Use Gyro Ball!”

Koffing began spinning rapidly, a silver line forming across its body. With Strike unable to see where it was coming from, the Poison Gas Pokemon was free to ram its spinning body directly into Strike’s stomach. As if that blow was not enough, Koffing rocketed away from Strike only to come back and slam into the Bug-type’s side, knocking it out of the Smokescreen and onto the floor.

I get what you're going for with the silver line, but I think it could be worded a bit better. Say that the silver line formed a ring around its body instead.

“Like that?” Janine smirked. “Gyro Ball is a move that gets stronger if the user is slower than the target, and as useful as Koffing can be, it’s pretty slow, too. Koffing, let’s give that Scyther a taste of its own medicine! Use Sludge Bomb!”

Rather than perform a preparatory inhalation, Koffing simply spat out a wad of slime that exploded upon contact with Strike’s body. The Scyther was sent skidding across the floor, and although its wings were thankfully untouched, the Mantis Pokemon was nonetheless defeated.

“Strike!” Derak cried, rushing out to his Pokemon’s side. “Hey, you all right?”

Strike, although beaten, was still conscious. With the last of its strength, it looked over towards Derak.

“…scy…ther? Scy,” Strike groaned before it passed out.

I have to admit, I'm kind of surprised that Strike seems to have taken defeat graciously here.

“I’ll get you healed as soon as we’re done here, I promise,” Derak said as he recalled Strike. He then returned to his end of the field and, knowing that the score was now even, steeled his resolve. “Okay…Koffing’s got a trick for anything that’s fast, and there’s still a Smokescreen giving sight issues…so…Echo, let’s go!”

Great thinking on Derak's part. Zubat should be able to do the trick against Koffing.

“Oh, cool!” Janine cried upon seeing Derak’s Zubat. “No wonder you were asking so much about Crobat! Okay, Koffing, time to step up our game! Use Gyro Ball!”

“Echo, Double Team!”

Koffing began to spin again, but this time Echo created a dozen replica Zubats before the Poison Gas Pokemon could connect its attack. Upon noticing Echo’s tactic, Koffing stopped and began looking around intently, clearly having been trained to try and see through such evasive tactics.

“Okay, Echo, follow up with Supersonic!” Derak cried.

Every one of the Zubat clones began emitting a series of sound waves from its mouth. Each sound wave from each Zubat made contact with Koffing, and despite the sphere’s efforts to block out the noise, its senses were nonetheless scrambled. It fell to the ground, rolling about in a daze as Janine could only look on.

“Koffing, no!” she cried. “Come on, use Gyro Ball!”

Koffing did attempt to use Gyro Ball, but as it levitated into the air and powered up its attack, its confused state led it to dive into the floor.

I think it would have been kind of funny if Koffing just started spinning while still on the ground.

“Okay, I think we might have this!” Derak cried. “Echo, use Zen Headbutt!”

“Say what?!” Janine cried, recognizing the Psychic-type move Echo was about to use. “Koffing, you have to snap out of it! Use Gyro Ball!”

Koffing gave itself a shake and prepared its latest Gyro Ball, but before it could execute the attack, the dome of energy produced by Echo’s Zen Headbutt rammed into Koffing’s face. The blow was clearly effective, sending the Poison Gas Pokemon tumbling back to Janine, but it was apparently not enough to fully defeat Koffing.

Rather than spit slime like it did against Strike, Koffing instead exhaled a jet of fire. Echo, however, spat a ball of darkness that sliced through Koffing’s Flamethrower and struck the Poison Gas Pokemon head-on. This last blow was evidently too much for Koffing, and the spherical Poison-type fell to the floor in defeat.

I wasn't quite ready for it either. That was quite a show on both their parts.

“I noticed,” Derak said. “Can we move on?”

“Uh…okay, sure,” Janine blinked. “Okay, time for my last Pokemon!”

Janine threw her Pokeball into the air, and released a completely unexpected Pokemon. Its blue feet landed on the floor, and an intimidating croak was the first noise it made.

It was the Toxicroak from the P1 Grand Prix.

“No way,” Derak gasped. “That Toxicroak was YOURS?”

My reaction right now is the same as Derak's. That was not what I expected. Great twist.

“Yep!” Janine cried. “See, sometimes I have to go out and train my Pokemon in public, but since I’m the Gym Leader, I’ll just get swarmed if I go out without some kind of disguise.”

“So you wear a big cloak?” Derak blinked.

“Hey, a ninja girl’s gotta have her privacy,” Janine shrugged. “Ready to roll?”

“I guess,” Derak shrugged. “Echo, use Shadow Ball!”

“Toxicroak, Sucker Punch!” Janine cried.

Echo prepared another Shadow Ball, but before it could release its attack, Toxicroak rushed up and struck the Bat Pokemon with enough force to send it reeling. Derak grimaced, knowing that Toxicroak could be tricky to beat if it could move that quickly.

Too bad he doesn't know that it's only Sucker Punch that gives Toxicroak such speed.

Derak’s Flying-type again split into numerous copies, prompting Toxicroak to stop for a moment. The Toxic Mouth Pokemon slowly scanned the Zubats, seeking the true one.

“Now, hit it with Zen Headbutt!” Derak cried.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Janine yelled. “Toxicroak, Protect!”

Janine sure came prepared with Toxicroak.

The Zubats all lunged forth as one, but their attack was barred by a green energy bubble that surrounded Toxicroak’s body. Every single one of Echo’s duplicates slammed head-first into the Protect, all the false ones disappearing as the real one fluttered about in a daze. Recognizing its target, Toxicroak swiftly thrust its Poison Jab into Echo’s stomach, sending the lightweight Flying-type sailing over Derak’s head and into a wall.

“Echo!” Derak cried. “Crap…return. Hey, you did your best, we were just taken off-guard.”

“What do you think of him so far?” N asked Skull, the both of them sitting on the sidelines.

“Eh,” Skull grunted with a shrug.

“Indifferent as always?” N smirked.

“He’s kinda lame,” Skull muttered. “And he’s still a complete moron.”

Good old Skull. Gotta say, though, he's at least talking to a human this time, which is a little surprising.

“I feel differently about that,” N said. “He seems to genuinely care for his Pokemon. But I wish to speak to his Scyther when this is over…”

With two Pokemon defeated, Derak held up Wildfire’s orange Pokeball. At this stage, his starter was the only option.

“Well…here goes everything,” Derak sighed. “Wildfire, let’s go!”

I'm not so sure about how this will go. Toxicroak's pretty tough...

“A Chimchar?” Janine gulped. Despite its having a neutral type matchup against her Toxicroak, Wildfire’s presence on the field seemed make her uneasy. “Okay, then, Toxicroak, let’s finish this up fast. Use Poison Jab!”

“Dodge and use Thunderpunch!” Derak cried.

Toxicroak quickly bounded into the fray, its latest Poison Jab ready to strike. Its intended target, however, performed a backwards somersault that allowed for agile evasion. Before Toxicroak could continue its assault, Wildfire sprang forth and slammed an electrical fist directly into the space between the Poison-type’s eyes. Toxicroak stumbled back, rubbing the spot where it had been struck.

Now that was impressive.

“Come on, Toxicroak, you can do this!” Janine cried. “Snap out of it!”

Toxicroak lunged forth, its attack hitting Wildfire hard enough to send it into the air. Although it began to flail about helplessly, the Chimchar stopped panicking when it noticed a rafter coming into reach. With the dexterity of a true primate, Wildfire snatched a rafter in hand and ducked into the darkness.

I kind of get the feeling Wildfire might evolve soon, given how he's managing to handle himself here.

“Ugh, again?!” Janine pouted. “And I thought ninjas were the only ones to make use of the shadows…”

A faint glow could now be seen in the darkness, something that Toxicroak took to mean that Wildfire’s attack was imminent. It quickly formed a Protect shield around itself, waiting for the blow to come…

…but nothing came.

“Huh?” Janine blinked. “Where is it?”

“Croak?” Toxicroak grunted as it stared intently at the ember in the dark. Another moment passed in which no attack was launched, and thus Toxicroak lowered its Protect shield.

And then Derak smirked.

“Wildfire, do it now!” he cried.

The ember was indeed Wildfire’s flame, and the Chimchar came barreling out of the shadows with a Flame Wheel blazing brightly. Toxicroak hurriedly tried to put up another Protect, but could only produce a fizzle of sparks due to its inability to use Protect twice in a row. With nothing to shield it, Toxicroak was helpless as Wildfire dove straight into it, shoving it across the floor.

“Char…?” Wildfire blinked. It looked to Derak, then to Toxicroak, and then back to Derak again. It gave him a nod, but tried its best to suppress a smile. “Char, chim-char.”

N smiled as well, but glanced to Janine’s Toxicroak. The Toxic Mouth Pokemon was struggling to rise, burns covering its body. It managed to stand, but was clearly unwell.

“Great,” Janine grimaced. “This is why I hate Dry Skin…Toxicroak, we’ve got one last chance! Jump into the rafters!”

Ah, good attentiveness to Toxicroak's ability.

Toxicroak managed to comply with its orders, leaping into the shadows just as Wildfire and Strike had done earlier. With its ninja training taking effect, the Poison-type was now completely obscured by darkness.

“Crap,” Derak muttered. “We can’t shoot an Ember up there, this place is made completely out of wood…can’t risk a fire hurting anything.”

Rather than make the defensive error that Toxicroak had made, Derak instead opted to have Wildfire attack. As such, the Chimchar adopted its blazing somersault as Toxicroak plunged out of the darkness. The two attacks collided fiercely, but Toxicroak began to wince upon coming into contact with Wildfire’s Flame Wheel. Eventually, Flame Wheel won out, and Toxicroak fell to the ground in defeat.

Oh wow, he actually pulled it off! I have to say I'm pretty surprised, but pleasantly so.

As Janine approached Derak with congratulations and a vaguely heart-shaped Badge, N allowed a smile to cross his face.

“This boy…he is different,” N said. “But…that may be a good thing.”

That comment of N's intrigues me. Derak may be different, but in what way, exactly?

“Okay, can someone explain to me why a Poison-type Gym gives out a Badge called the Soul Badge?” Derak asked once his group was reunited in the Pokemon Center. “Because I don’t get it. At all.”

Thank you! I'd be wondering about this too if it wasn't obviously an error in the games that couldn't ever be reversed.

“I never bother with such competitive garbage,” Garth grunted.

“Nor do I,” N sighed. “I dislike seeing Pokemon fight one another.”

“…so why did you watch mine fight Janine’s?” Derak asked. “You could have just held off on the battle until you got Zekrom back.”

“I could only hear the voices of your Pokemon if they battled at their fullest,” N replied. “Only then, in a stressful situation, would I know if their feelings would true. And I needed to know as soon as possible, given…recent events.”

“So…what do they say?” Derak asked. “I’d kinda like to know if they hate the food I give them or something like that.”

Although clearly healed from the injuries it sustained in its battle against Janine, Strike’s wings remained in a cast. It cast a glare at N, who it assumed was going to either lecture or battle it.

“Hey…let me ask you something,” N said, leaning forward in what seemed to be a childish sort of excitement. “Your comrades enjoy being with Derak…but I wish to know if you do, as well.”

“Scy-ther-scy,” Strike spat. “Scy scyther scy therrr.”

“…there is no need to address me so harshly…or with such choice words,” N said slowly. “Why are you so aggressive in battle? There is nothing to be gained from such bloodlust.”

I laughed thinking of what choice words Strike used, I admit.

“Scy-ther scy scyther,” Strike growled.

“So…what’s the story?” Derak asked.

“Your Scyther…does not wish to be with you,” N said.

“Yeah, I kinda figured that out for myself,” Derak said. “Anything I don’t already know?”

“Scyther…wishes to be released,” N sighed. “It maintains that, despite the condition of its wings, it can survive without any form of aid.”

I kind of figured this would be where Strike's plot right now would go. I hope you manage to handle it well, though, because you don't want it to look too much like an easy pass given to Derak for Janine's Gym.

“But…Strike, I’m sorry, I can’t send you back to the Safari Zone yet,” Derak sighed. “Your wings are too badly hurt, and I can’t risk it happening again unless—”

One blade came quite close to Derak’s throat. Strike growled threateningly, and shockingly enough, Skull actually let out a small snicker at this. He had to admit, he liked this Scyther.

“I have a better idea,” Garth said, finishing a swig from his canteen, “one that can give both Derak and Scyther what they want.”

“But how is that possible?” N asked. “Their desires are as conflicting as black and white.”

“Yet I know something additional about one of those desires,” Garth said. He casually ignored Strike’s warning glare as he continued. “Scyther wants vengeance.”

“Really?” Derak blinked. “Guess you WOULD be the one to know about that. But who does it want dead? I mean, other than me, anyway.”

“Hardly,” Garth snarled, casting a glare at the former Plasma king. “But I do know how to recognize a look of rage…and I believe that we can work out a deal.”

“Okay, shoot,” Derak said. Even Strike looked interested, although Skull still remained indifferent.

“If Scyther remains here in Fuchsia City,” Garth began, “then its chances of finding the monster that injured its wings are severely lessened. By continuing to travel with Derak, Scyther will not only have a greater chance of finding its nemesis, but also of gaining enough strength to take its revenge.”

At this point I'd like to know a little bit more about what exactly happened to Strike. I suspect Elliot's involvement.

“Sounds good to me,” Derak shrugged. “What do you think, Strike?”

At first, Strike appeared surprised that Derak was considering its opinion. Once it recovered, however, it mulled over its options, weighing each one. Eventually, after a moment, it made a decision…

“Okay, Strike…glad to have you on the team,” Derak said. “I would do a handshake, but…”

Strike looked down at its bladed arms, and sighed.

It already regretted its decision to put up with this imbecile.

The smile I got from that was a nice relief after a scene of tension.

Back at the Fuchsia Gym, Janine poured over the book from which the pages relating to Kotaro Fuma were missing. She studied the torn areas carefully, attempting to find some clue as to who committed the theft, or how it was done. As time went on, however, she find that her attempts ended in failure. She was simply no detective, and even if she were, the theft was too perfectly calculated to be traceable.

Little did she know that her questions could be answered by one man. This man was currently standing at a port in Vermillion City, clutching several pieces of torn paper a metallic right hand. In his other hand was a ticket marked “SLATEPORT CITY”, which he flashed at a sailor to inform him of his status as an official passenger.

Should that say "clutching several pieces of torn paper in a metallic right hand?

The man’s flowing gold-and-purple robe swept across the floor as he made his way toward his seat. He sat down, awaiting the beginning of his journey. As the ship departed, a small blue jellyfish-like Pokemon with a frilled collar began to follow, making sure to keep track of its master.

“Frilll-iiiiish,” trilled the jellyfish, knowing that its master’s plan was going to be set in motion soon.

And now who might this be? I'm interested to find out.

This was a big chapter. While Derak's battle with Janine was the main event featured, if you think about it, that was only a small part of a larger whole. I would argue that Derak's relationship with Strike was one of if not the main themes of the chapter. N has made his place well within the cast, particularly in that context, though Garth was less prominent in this chapter than usual. I have to say I really enjoyed Janine's presence in the chapter. She fit well with your adaptation of Conquest material, and she also interacted well with all of the characters.

Everything was great as usual in this chapter, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Last edited by The Great Butler; 18th February 2013 at 10:22 AM.

(Banner by Matori)Beyond all ideals, the truth shall set you free...
Most Recent: 20: The Weight of the World (Part 2)
Next: Father

Hmm... I wonder where this is going. N could be helpful, a hindrance, or something in between.

One of the reasons that the next chapter is so delayed would be because I'm having quite a bit of difficulty finalizing N's role myself. XD You'll be seeing more of him, though.

I sincerely hope that's some great foreshadowing.

Oh, you have no idea... XD

Derak seems strangely detached from things here. I get that his Gym battle is important, but if you think about it, getting Zekrom back is even more urgent.

The Gym battle is actually a step towards getting Zekrom back.

Trust me, you'll see later.

Dare I think that you really enjoyed Conquest? XD;

It's a good thing, really. You're doing an excellent job merging the story and people of Conquest into the main universe.

Let's just say that it's rare that I get so involved with the source material. XD

I suddenly get a nervous feeling someone else might be behind it now that Kotaro was brought up, but I won't put it out there just yet...

Honestly, that little bit (and the mysterious guy at the end) are going to serve as a lead-in to my next fic.

Although, that being said, you will see him again.

A neat scene, but I must offer one correction: the move is written as "X-Scissor."

Hmm...I thought that Gen V rewrote it as "X-scissor"...maybe that's just how the move was written in the Serebii Pokedex?

I think you should tone down how many times Janine says "oh, crud." It is a little noticeable.

Noted.

I get what you're going for with the silver line, but I think it could be worded a bit better. Say that the silver line formed a ring around its body instead.

Again, noted. Really not much else I can say in regards to this.

I have to admit, I'm kind of surprised that Strike seems to have taken defeat graciously here.

You might be seeing something later that more clearly shows how Strike isn't a COMPLETE nutcase.

That comment of N's intrigues me. Derak may be different, but in what way, exactly?

You'll hopefully see that in the next chapter (assuming I can get enough free time to write it in a timely manner).

Thank you! I'd be wondering about this too if it wasn't obviously an error in the games that couldn't ever be reversed.

That's what the deal is? I never really thought about it until I wrote this chapter, to be honest.

At this point I'd like to know a little bit more about what exactly happened to Strike. I suspect Elliot's involvement.

If you only knew...XD

Should that say "clutching several pieces of torn paper in a metallic right hand?

Yes. Yes it should. XD

And now who might this be? I'm interested to find out.

He's not going to be doing too much in this story, but in the next one...let's just say you'll be in for a ride. XD

This was a big chapter. While Derak's battle with Janine was the main event featured, if you think about it, that was only a small part of a larger whole. I would argue that Derak's relationship with Strike was one of if not the main themes of the chapter. N has made his place well within the cast, particularly in that context, though Garth was less prominent in this chapter than usual. I have to say I really enjoyed Janine's presence in the chapter. She fit well with your adaptation of Conquest material, and she also interacted well with all of the characters.

Everything was great as usual in this chapter, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Glad you enjoyed it. If all goes well, the next chapter should be up by the end of the month (emphasis on "should"). Hopefully things will work out, I'm eager to write up the various events that take place in Saffron. Lots of interesting stuff happens. That's all I'll say. XD

It had been several days since Derak’s battle with Janine. He and Garth had since moved on to Saffron City, a settlement reputed as Kanto’s largest city, while N and Skull had gone in a different direction in search of Zekrom. Everywhere they looked, shining skyscrapers and dominating office buildings were always in view, with people filing in and out of them. At present, however, the two traveling trainers were not interested in the splendor of Saffron.

“So, what type was the Gym again?” Derak asked as he and Garth sat in the Pokemon Center lobby.

“Psychic,” his cloaked companion replied. “Which means that your Zubat will be decimated in an instant. Bug-type attacks, however, are quite effective against Psychic-types.”

“Like Strike’s X-Scissor,” Derak said.

“Exactly,” Garth nodded. “We will need to do some training before you can battle the Gym, however. The Leader is reputed as one of Kanto’s strongest.”

“Might as well get started, then,” Derak shrugged, and with that, he and Garth made their way outside. “Hey, how do you think N’s doing since he went Zekrom-hunting?”

“I doubt he has had much success yet,” Garth replied. “Nobunaga is no fool. He will be able to evade N until he deems it convenient to be found.”

“Yeah, I guess—” Derak began.

“GET DOWN!” Garth suddenly roared, pushing both Derak and himself onto the ground in time to avoid a large Sludge Bomb that was hurtling towards them. The attack exploded on the ground behind them, fortunately leaving the two unharmed.

“Oh, it’s you dweebs again?”

Derak looked up with a glare and saw Aiden Takeshi, alongside his mysterious blue-haired companion. Beside Aiden was a Pokemon reminiscent of a small purple rhinoceros with a spiky back and large ears. Clearly more interested in the new Pokemon than he was in Aiden, Derak immediately pointed his Pokedex at the rhinoceros.

“Nidorino,” the Dex identified, “the Poison Pin Pokemon. Type is Poison. Evolved form of male Nidoran. It has a violent disposition and stabs foes with its horn, which oozes poison upon contact.”

“Uh, hello?” Aiden called. “Talking here!”

“Uh, hello, don’t care,” Derak shot back. “C’mon, Garth.”

He made to brush past Aiden, but the coordinator stepped in front of him.

“Hold on a sec!” Aiden growled. “I’m not gonna just let you disrespect me and walk off scot-free! I’m gonna—”

“Yeah, that’s great, are you done yet?” Derak sighed. “I have better things to do than put up with a creep like you.”

“Whatever,” Derak sighed. He and Aiden separated themselves, leaving Garth and Aiden’s blue-haired accomplice on the sidelines. Garth glared warily at the blue-haired teen, remembering how his cloak was burnt during their previous encounter.

“Okay, got Nidorino out already, so…let’s give the new guy some exercise,” Aiden smirked, preparing a Safari Ball of his own. “Scizor, time to win!”

Aiden’s Nidorino was soon joined on the field by what appeared to be a humanoid insect, as one could attest by its bulbous abdomen. The insect struck a sleek and intimidating figure, with its thin limbs and spiky head adding to its streamlined appearance. Curiously, as it held its two large pincers up, a sparkle emanated from its green body once the flash of the Safari Ball dissipated.

“What? How is that possible?!” Garth gasped. “A shiny Pokemon in the hands of a lowlife like yourself?!”

“What, no congratulations on netting myself a rare Pokemon?” Aiden smirked. “Guess I should expect that from sore losers.”

“Uh, Garth, you want to fill me in on what a—” Derak began, but before he could finish, the Safari Ball on his belt automatically burst open and released Strike. The Scyther began snarling dangerously at Aiden’s Scizor, which only gave an amused smirk in respone.

Strike’s eyes suddenly went wide, and without warning, it leapt at Scizor with a bloodcurdling cry of rage. The evolved Bug-type glanced upward, and with another disinterested roll of its eyes, it charged white energy into both of its pincers. Before Strike could bring down a cutting blow, Scizor leapt up and hit Strike twice: first a jab to the stomach, then an uppercut to the jaw. Strike was utterly decimated by the raw power of the attack, and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

“STRIKE!” Derak cried, tearing himself out of Garth’s grasp and rushing to his Scyther’s side. “Oh, no, Strike!”

He brought out his Pokeball and Safari Ball and recalled his Nidorino and Scizor. With a shrug, Aiden’s blue-haired accomplice wandered off, with Aiden himself following. The arrogant trainer did glance back, however, casting what seemed to be a brief look of sorrow before leaving.

“Stupid creep,” Derak growled. “How many more jerks like that am I going to meet?”

“Unfortunately, people like him are in endless supply,” Garth sighed. “How is Scyther?”

“Scyyy…therrrrr,” Strike growled, struggling to get to its feet and pursue its nemesis.

“Whoa, Strike, take it easy!” Derak cried, holding his Scyther down. “Look, I don’t think we’re strong enough to take on that Scizor yet. Tell you what, how about we take a break to get you healed, then we’ll go for the Gym and get some practice in. What do you say?”

“Theerr,” Strike growled, glaring in the direction Aiden had gone, but nonetheless turned its gaze to Derak and nodded. “Scy-ther.”

Elsewhere in Kanto, two pairs of feet—one wearing shoes, the other bare—traversed a forested pathway. With an irritated groan, Skull did his best to keep pace with N, despite the latter’s taller stature.

“Why are we even bothering to go through here?” the Marowak complained. “It’s not like Nobunaga’s gonna jump out of the bushes or something.”

“I know,” N replied. “But, as strong as you are, we cannot do this alone. We need to find some friends who would be willing to help us.”

“Yeah, because Zekrom’s one weakness is obviously the mighty Caterpie,” Skull snorted. “What are we going to do? Find an Aron with the Sturdy ability, teach it Endeavor, slap on a Shell Bell and call it invincible?”

“I would never condone such a dirty tactic,” N said in disgust. “No, what we need is a friend with earnest strength and a stronger heart. Zekrom’s name alone would frighten away many a Pokemon, let alone a battle with it.”

A rustling in a nearby bush caught N’s attention, prompting him to stop. Skull narrowed his eyes, readying his bone and preparing to step forth.

What came out, however, was a pink-bodied Pokemon just barely larger than Skull, with yellow markings on its legs and stomach. Its beady black eyes were filled with fear, one that doubled in intensity upon seeing N and Skull. In a panic, the Pokemon opened its mouth and sent forth a massive red tongue, which wrapped around a tree branch and carried it across the path in an instant.

“Wait, Lickitung! Please!” N pleaded, but the Pokemon was long gone. “That Lickitung…it was so afraid…but of what?”

Skull’s eyes suddenly went wide, and the Marowak then leapt in front of N. He began spinning his bone just as a jet of fire erupted from between the trees. The spinning bone dispersed the flame, and once the jet subsided, Skull began growling angrily.

“Take a wild guess,” he snarled.

Another Pokemon waded out of the bushes, this one larger and more intimidating. Its anteater-like body was dominantly red with yellow streaks, its pointed head as brown as the tube-like protrusions running down its back. A large red pipe emerged from its rear, and upon catching sight of N and Skull, the Pokemon flexed its golden claws in anticipation.

“Heaaat-morrr,” the Pokemon snarled, a flame-like tongue whipping out of its mouth.

“But…why?” N blinked. “Heatmors live in mountains in Unova…why is this one—”

“Probably some guy’s slave,” Skull said bitterly.

As if to prove it, the Heatmor formed a sphere of energy between its claws. It then threw the Focus Blast directly at Skull, though the Marowak simply knocked it aside with one swipe of his bone.

“Aw, that’s cute,” he scoffed. “This idiot wants a fight.”

Had Heatmor’s mouth been bigger, it would have grinned upon hearing Skull speak. The anteater’s flaming tongue slid out of its mouth, and as it did so , the tongue began to glow green. Heatmor reared its head back before lurching forward, whipping its tongue towards Skull. To its shock, however, its attack found a completely different target.

“Mor?” Heatmor blinked. It quickly retracted its tongue, attempting to reassess its options. Skull pounded his free hand with his bone, indicating his readiness to use it against the anteater. With a final glare at its foes, Heatmor dove back into the bushes.

“Leave it,” N sighed, knowing that Skull would chase after the fleeing Fire-type. “We need to find that Lickitung.”

“Keep your mind as blank as possible,” Garth warned. “The Gym Leader is famous for having psychic powers rivaling those of her Pokemon. The ability to read minds could be within her capabilities.”

“…uh, how do humans get psychic powers in the first place?” Derak blinked.

“You would be surprised what certain humans are capable of,” Garth replied. “Now, go, and remember what I told you.”

Derak simply shrugged and left. Garth, meanwhile, gazed down at his canteen.

Then again, he thought, regardless of what certain humans are capable of…there are some capabilities we may be better off without.

****

“Lickitung must have gone this way,” N said quietly as he weaved by the various tree branches and shrubs that entered his path. “Skull, how are you faring?”

“Like crap,” the Marowak spat back, using his bone to hack away whatever plant life was unfortunate enough to be in front of him. “Why are we chasing something that has nothing but tongue in its body?”

“Like I said earlier, we need to make sure that it’s all right,” N replied. “It was attacked by Heatmor, just like we were.”

“Yeah, yeah, and we need to see if it’ll tag along to fight Zekrom,” Skull groaned. “We’re not setting the bar very high, are we?”

“That would only be if Lickitung agrees to join us,” N said. “Otherwise, we will leave it be.”

Eventually, the two came upon a small clearing, where a familiar pink Pokemon was on its back, panting heavily. Lickitung’s tongue laid flat across the grass, clearly sore from its owner’s desperate attempts at using it to escape. The Pokemon itself casually turned its head, and upon spying N and Skull, it went into a panic once again. It scrambled to its feet, but it only took several steps for Lickitung’s tired body to fail it, causing the entire Pokemon to fall onto the grass once more.

“Please, Lickitung, don’t be afraid,” N said, holding up his hands in a show of peace. “We aren’t with Heatmor. It attacked us, as well.”

“Licki?” Lickitung blinked, confused at this stranger’s words.

“Here, let us help you,” N said, kneeling down. “Is your tongue hurt? Can we help you heal it?”

“Liiiick,” Lickitung moaned, glancing down at its tongue. After a moment of thought, it nodded.

“Thank you, Lickitung…for giving me a chance,” N smiled. “Skull, could you guard Lickitung for a moment? I need to find some Oran or Sitrus berries.”

“Eh, at least you’re not having the Pokemon do all the manual labor for you,” Skull shrugged, approaching Lickitung, much to the timid Pokemon’s discomfort. Although irritated by Lickitung’s shrinking back in fear of him, Skull merely rolled his eyes as N left to find some berries.

****

“Geez, look at this thing,” Derak muttered, looking upon the rather outrageous Saffron Gym. The building was quite large, with an even bigger white roof split into many curving structures held up by pointed arches. “Do I even want to know what kind of statement you’re trying to make here?”

Derak approached the door and grabbed the handle, but his initial pull could not budge the door. He pulled again, but the door remained steadfast. He even propped his foot against the door and pulled with all his might, but the result was the same.

“Okay, what the heck’s going on here?” Derak sighed. “There’s no sign saying the Gym’s closed, so why won’t the door open?”

As if to answer him, a freakish purple hand suddenly phased through the door and latched onto Derak’s head. The hand promptly yanked him forward, somehow causing him to pass through the door as if it were not even there. Derak fell onto the other side of the door, where he managed to find a second hand holding the door shut.

“Okay…now I’m really confused,” Derak grumbled as he got up. The two hands drifted towards each other, and soon a monstrous purple head with a gaping fanged mouth materialized between them.

“Haunter,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Gas Pokemon. Type is Ghost and Poison. Evolved form of Gastly. It likes to lurk in the dark and touch shoulders with a gaseous hand. Its touch causes endless shuddering.”

“Okay, whatever,” Derak sighed, turning away from the Ghost-type and making his way deeper into the Gym. “Let’s see…where’s the Gym Leader going to be?”

As if responding to his question, the Haunter appeared in front of him, waving its hands in front of Derak’s face.

“Oh, what do you want?” Derak snapped. “Last I checked, something that deliberately bars a door just to yanks through it isn’t the most trustworthy thing around.”

“Haun?” Haunter blinked. It then gave what seemed to be an apologetic bow. “Haaauun-ter.”

“Haun, haunter!” Haunter nodded again. It pointed down the hall, to a final door at the very end.

“Okay, thanks,” Derak said. “Hey, listen…I didn’t mean to sound all suspicious of you, okay? It’s just…I get enough crud from a psychotic Rotom that’s apparently been following me around, and I don’t need more than one Pokemon doing that.”

“Haun-ter,” nodded the Gas Pokemon, one hand patting Derak on the shoulder. A rush of cold suddenly tore through the boy’s body, emanating from the spot that Haunter had touched.

“O-okay, can you not do that?” Derak shuddered. “It’s…it’s really not comfortable.”

“Haunt-er,” the Ghost-type bowed again.

“Great, thanks,” Derak breathed, rubbing his arms in an attempt to force away the cold. He continued to do this as he moved on, eventually pushing his way through the door and finding a large battlefield. At the other end of the field was a green-haired woman seated on a golden throne, eyes closed in meditation. She wore a magenta top with white pants, and around her wrists were two large black-and-green bracelets.

“Derak Kadir…was it?” the woman said as she stood up. “Welcome to Saffron Gym.”

“Uh…how did you know my name?” Derak blinked.

“I am a psychic,” the woman answered. “My name is Sabrina. I foresaw your arrival…and I have also foreseen several different outcomes to our battle. Let us see which one is correct.”

“Uh…oh…kay,” Derak said slowly. Haunter suddenly reappeared by his side, gaining a small smile from Sabrina. “So, is this Haunter yours?”

“Not exactly,” Sabrina shook her head. “In truth, Haunter belongs to no one, but it remains with me at the request of a trainer I battled some time ago. It helps me maintain my…mental state, if you will.”

“I…don’t think I want to know,” Derak blinked. “So…we going to get started?”

“Yes,” Sabrina nodded. “The standard rules apply…a three-on-three single battle in which only the challenger may make substitutions. I shall begin…with Alakazam.”

Rather than physically throw a Pokeball, one simply levitated in front of her before bursting open. In a flash, Sabrina’s choice appeared, a yellow-and-brown fox-like Pokemon just under five feet tall with a silver spoon in each hand and a long handlebar mustache. Standing on its two clawed feet, the Pokemon stared intently at Derak, awaiting his first choice.

“Alakazam,” the Pokedex reported, “the Psi Pokemon. Type is Psychic. Evolved form of Kadabra. The spoons clutched in its hands are said to have been created by its psychic powers. Its brain cells continually multiply until it dies, and as a result, it remembers everything since the day of its birth.”

“Guess I should have figured a Psychic-type would be all about brains,” Derak shrugged. “Okay, don’t have a lot of options, so…Wildfire, let’s go!”

Although it lacked true eyebrows, Sabrina’s Alakazam would most likely have raised one upon seeing Derak’s Chimchar. It also, however, knew better than to underestimate an opponent, and thus the Psychic-type narrowed its eyes and gripped its spoons tightly.

“Then…let us begin,” Sabrina said, moving one hand forward and closing her eyes.

Despite lacking an order to do so, Alakazam formed a Shadow Ball between its spoons. With a flick, the Psi Pokemon fired the Shadow Ball and watched with satisfaction as it slammed into Wildfire’s body. The force of the attack sent a shocked Wildfire sliding to the edge of the arena, though it managed to push itself to its feet.

“Hey, wha—”

“Alakazam may seem to be acting of its own accord,” Sabrina interrupted calmly, “but I had given it an order through telepathy rather than vocally. Did you really think your sixth Gym battle was going to be as easy as the ones before it?”

Derak gritted his teeth as Sabrina’s words hit home.

“Great…okay, Wildfire, this isn’t going to be easy, but we need to try,” Derak said, receiving a nod from his Chimchar. “Okay, let’s break out the best that we’ve got. Use Flame Wheel!”

Wildfire leapt forth in a flaming somersault that barreled towards Alakazam, only to be stopped in mid-air as a blue aura surrounded the Fire-type’s body. Alakazam flicked one of its spoons upward, and Wildfire suddenly rocketed up into the ceiling. The Chimchar remained up there for a moment, suspended by Alakazam’s Psychic, until the Psi Pokemon saw fit to lower the fire monkey halfway to the ground before unceremoniously dropping it onto the floor.

“Wildfire! Hey, you okay?” Derak called. His Chimchar struggled to rise, the beating it took from Alakazam’s attacks taking its toll. “Okay, this is definitely going to be a lot tougher than we thought…uh…crap, what do we do…?”

Wildfire clenched its jaw and slammed one fist into the ground. Its trainer had few usable Pokemon, so he had to be depending heavily on every single one that he could use. He was putting so much faith into a Chimchar…even if it was a scared, miserable one like Wildfire. The name was still there, and Derak still used it. It was not just a drone to him…it was a living being.

And now was the time that it earned its place.

Wildfire stood up, fists clenched as its flaming tail burned violently. Its eyes narrowed, and with a growl, it took one step forward.

The Psi Pokemon charged up another Shadow Ball, but Wildfire’s fist tightened as it prepared a Thunderpunch. It awaited the coming of the Shadow Ball, and once the dark sphere was close, the Chimchar thrust its electrified fist directly into the center of the sphere. That one punch was enough to decimate the Shadow Ball, sending shadowy sparks scattering everywhere.

“Haaaauun!” grinned Haunter, clapping its hands. “Haun, haunter!”

“Whoa…heh, go, Wildfire!” Derak smiled.

“Char,” Wildfire smirked, looking back at its trainer. It felt a surge of energy rushing through it, and that was how it knew the time to strike was now.

But everything changed when Wildfire saw that it was glowing.

“Char?!” the monkey shrieked, stumbling back onto its rear. It slapped at its arms desperately, attempting to swat away the glow of evolution.

“Oh, crap,” Derak gasped. He quickly formed his hands into a ‘T’-shape. “Time out! Hold on, time out, I need to stop this!”

He held the monkey close to him, believing that his body would help suppress the evolution. Wildfire wrapped its arms around itself, evidently thinking on the same wavelength.

“Just try and hold it in!” Derak cried. “I know you can do this, pal! You’re fine just the way you are, and if you don’t want to change, then I won’t let it happen! That’s just what friends do, right? Look out for each other?”

Wildfire clutched its arms even more tightly together, wishing that it would not evolve. It didn’t care how much stronger it would become because of evolution. As long as the memory of Nick Spire’s animalistic Infernape was present in its mind—along with the knowledge that it could turn out the exact same way—Wildfire knew that evolution was too much of a risk. It continued to wish fervently for the evolution to pass away.

And then it did. The glow subsided, and Wildfire looked down at its hands. They were still yellow, and its arms were still orange. It felt its face, feeling no significant changes. And then it heaved a sigh of relief.

“Oh, man…thank goodness,” Derak sighed. “Seriously, don’t scare me like that, okay? Just try not to do that again.”

“Char,” Wildfire nodded with a small smile.

“If you don’t mind my asking,” Sabrina ventured, “why are you and your Chimchar so afraid of evolution?”

“Long story short, Infernapes are bad news,” Derak said as he got up. “Listen, we’re going to need to put the Gym battle on hold. You know, until Wildfire and I work out our…issues.”

“Very well,” Sabrina nodded. “I can sense that you genuinely care about what your Pokemon wants…but I must warn you that what is best for your Pokemon may not always be what they want.”

Derak nodded, although he barely heard her over the ideas he mulled over in his head. As he turned to leave, he made a mental checklist of subjects to ask Garth or Nurse Joy about, all of which pertained to preventing Wildfire’s evolution.

“Come on, little guy,” Derak said. “There has to be a way to get you stronger without making you evolve.”

As they approached the door, however, their means of exit swung open. Another figure entered from the other side, this one narrowing her eyes at the sight of Derak.

As Melissa’s battle with Sabrina went underway, Skull remained next to the fallen Lickitung. The pink Pokemon was still flat on the ground, though it had taken to massaging its colossal tongue every now and then. Skull leaned on his bone, glancing about.

“You would be surprised,” came the voice of N as he stepped back into the clearing, a bunch of spherical blue berries in his arms. “I’m very sorry for being so late, but it was hard to find Oran berries that no other Pokemon were going to be eating…”

“Whatever,” Skull groaned. “Just give tongue-tastic here the berries so we can be on our way.”

“Of course,” N said, kneeling down in front of Lickitung. “Here, eat some of these. I promise, they’ll make you feel better.”

Lickitung complied, and as N fed the berries to it, the wounds on the Pokemon’s tongue began to vanish. Soon, the injuries were completely gone, and Lickitung withdrew its massive tongue into its body once more.

“Lickih!” cried the Pokemon happily. “Licki-tung!”

“You’re welcome,” N smiled. “Oh…this might sound insensitive, but…we need your help, Lickitung. A friend of mine has been taken from me, and…I need help getting him back. If it’s all right with you…could you help us?”

“And, if you can’t, point us to who can,” Skull added. “Wandering around aimlessly isn’t gonna get us anywhere.”

“Licki!” Lickitung nodded. It placed its hand in N’s, giving it a shake of agreement. “Licki, licki-tung!”

“You’ll…do it? Even if my friend's name is Zekrom?” N asked, receiving a surprisingly quick nod from Lickitung. “Thank you…my friend. Now, before we can go…I’m sorry, but I need to put you in a Pokeball. I know that some Pokemon hate it, like Skull here, but it’s easier to travel with a group of Pokemon that way. Besides…if you’re already in a ball, no selfish trainers could use you without your permission. Okay?”

Lickitung nodded again, and N reluctantly tapped it with a Pokeball. The pink Pokemon was absorbed inside, causing the ball to shake three times and then ring.

“Every time I do that…I feel like a portion of me dies inside,” N sighed.

“Hey, at least you have a conscience about enslaving Pokemon,” Skull shrugged. “I’ve known, what, two or three humans who have that? Out of the millions of them on this planet, you’re one of the few that actually has a sense of decency.”

“Skull…thank you,” N smiled. “Coming from you, that means a lot…come on…let’s go try and find some more helpers.”

*****

Miles away, however, a familiar anteater trudged back to a large cave. The entrance, carved into the side of a mountain, almost beckoned it to enter. But it stood its ground, knowing what would happen if it entered without permission.

“HEAT-MOR!” the anteater called into the cave. A growl could be heard from within, as well as a shuffle of slow movement.

“What?” a ragged voice growled. “What is it, Heatmor? Why do you have no food?”

“Mor, heat…heat-mor, heat, heat-mor-heat-mor-mor,” Heatmor stammered.

“A talking Marowak and its trainer? That’s your reason for failure?” the voice replied, a slow scraping sound coming closer and closer to the cave entrance. “Never mind. Marowak hides are too tough to be edible, same goes for all those indestructible bones of theirs.”

“Heat! Heat-mor! Mor, mor-heat!” Heatmor cried.

“What? Did you…heh, is that so?” the voice replied.

A figure slowly stepped out of the cave and into the light, revealing itself to be a man wearing a tattered set of clothes covered in leather straps. Each strap was packed with knives, bones, ropes, and other various odds and ends. The man scraped one of his knives—a particularly large one with a serrated edge—against the cave wall, apparently sharpening it.

“Run that by me again,” the man chuckled, running a hand through his long, messy hair. “You’re saying you saw someone from our old friends at Team Plasma? Someone important, at that?”

“Mor, heat-mor!” nodded Heatmor.

“Heh-heh-heh…so, you’ve finally come out into the world…have you, ‘Lord’ N?” the man chuckled. “Heatmor, round up the others. I think it’s time we showed our dear former lord what happens in the real world.”

So, Derak and Garth finally found Strike's aggressors, and the former takes a glimpse into Garth's world. Bet that felt uncomfortable... at least Aiden (or part of him) felt some remorse over his actions. Seemed to, anyways.

I also loved Derak's new attitude. At least our friendly neighbourhood Rotom didn't attack them en route to Saffron, otherwise he'd be the walking avatar of paranoia. However, his lack of reaction to Haunter pulling him through a door out of the blue was a bit awkward to read through. And yay for someone finally giving Derak a bit more respect (thumbs up at Sabrina)

Skull's as hilarious as ever, and it will be interesting to see how N can hold the peace between his "team".

However, despite all the coolness that came in this chapter, there was one slight mishap...

“Oh, what do you want?” Derak snapped. “Last I checked, something that deliberately bars a door just to yanks through it isn’t the most trustworthy thing around.”

I dunno, but the bold part seems to roll off of the tongue a little weirdly. Maybe it's verb agreement or a missing word (or both), but I'd think that it might require a second glance. Maybe it was meant to be yank people/gym challengers through?

It had been several days since Derak’s battle with Janine. He and Garth had since moved on to Saffron City, a settlement reputed as Kanto’s largest city, while N and Skull had gone in a different direction in search of Zekrom. Everywhere they looked, shining skyscrapers and dominating office buildings were always in view, with people filing in and out of them. At present, however, the two traveling trainers were not interested in the splendor of Saffron.

I have to say right away that I like how you didn't waste time on the travel to Saffron. Getting us there immediately is a much better option.

“So, what type was the Gym again?” Derak asked as he and Garth sat in the Pokemon Center lobby.

“Psychic,” his cloaked companion replied. “Which means that your Zubat will be decimated in an instant. Bug-type attacks, however, are quite effective against Psychic-types.”

“Like Strike’s X-Scissor,” Derak said.

“Exactly,” Garth nodded. “We will need to do some training before you can battle the Gym, however. The Leader is reputed as one of Kanto’s strongest.”

Yeah, I really don't think that Derak would stand much of a chance against Sabrina right now.

“Might as well get started, then,” Derak shrugged, and with that, he and Garth made their way outside. “Hey, how do you think N’s doing since he went Zekrom-hunting?”

“I doubt he has had much success yet,” Garth replied. “Nobunaga is no fool. He will be able to evade N until he deems it convenient to be found.”

“Yeah, I guess—” Derak began.

“GET DOWN!” Garth suddenly roared, pushing both Derak and himself onto the ground in time to avoid a large Sludge Bomb that was hurtling towards them. The attack exploded on the ground behind them, fortunately leaving the two unharmed.

“Oh, it’s you dweebs again?”

Derak looked up with a glare and saw Aiden Takeshi, alongside his mysterious blue-haired companion. Beside Aiden was a Pokemon reminiscent of a small purple rhinoceros with a spiky back and large ears. Clearly more interested in the new Pokemon than he was in Aiden, Derak immediately pointed his Pokedex at the rhinoceros.

I'll be honest, I'm having a little trouble remembering who Aiden is. Please forgive me, it's just not clearly coming to me yet.

“Nidorino,” the Dex identified, “the Poison Pin Pokemon. Type is Poison. Evolved form of male Nidoran. It has a violent disposition and stabs foes with its horn, which oozes poison upon contact.”

“Uh, hello?” Aiden called. “Talking here!”

“Uh, hello, don’t care,” Derak shot back. “C’mon, Garth.”

He made to brush past Aiden, but the coordinator stepped in front of him.

“Hold on a sec!” Aiden growled. “I’m not gonna just let you disrespect me and walk off scot-free! I’m gonna—”

“Yeah, that’s great, are you done yet?” Derak sighed. “I have better things to do than put up with a creep like you.”

“Whatever,” Derak sighed. He and Aiden separated themselves, leaving Garth and Aiden’s blue-haired accomplice on the sidelines. Garth glared warily at the blue-haired teen, remembering how his cloak was burnt during their previous encounter.

“Okay, got Nidorino out already, so…let’s give the new guy some exercise,” Aiden smirked, preparing a Safari Ball of his own. “Scizor, time to win!”

Oh yeah, that's bad news. This is not going to end well for Derak.

Aiden’s Nidorino was soon joined on the field by what appeared to be a humanoid insect, as one could attest by its bulbous abdomen. The insect struck a sleek and intimidating figure, with its thin limbs and spiky head adding to its streamlined appearance. Curiously, as it held its two large pincers up, a sparkle emanated from its green body once the flash of the Safari Ball dissipated.

“What? How is that possible?!” Garth gasped. “A shiny Pokemon in the hands of a lowlife like yourself?!”

“What, no congratulations on netting myself a rare Pokemon?” Aiden smirked. “Guess I should expect that from sore losers.”

“Uh, Garth, you want to fill me in on what a—” Derak began, but before he could finish, the Safari Ball on his belt automatically burst open and released Strike. The Scyther began snarling dangerously at Aiden’s Scizor, which only gave an amused smirk in respone.

Now that sure came out of left field. I might still not remember who Aiden is exactly, but I sure know who he needs to be for the current plot now. I wasn't expecting to learn who injured Strike this soon, if at all.

Strike’s eyes suddenly went wide, and without warning, it leapt at Scizor with a bloodcurdling cry of rage. The evolved Bug-type glanced upward, and with another disinterested roll of its eyes, it charged white energy into both of its pincers. Before Strike could bring down a cutting blow, Scizor leapt up and hit Strike twice: first a jab to the stomach, then an uppercut to the jaw. Strike was utterly decimated by the raw power of the attack, and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

“STRIKE!” Derak cried, tearing himself out of Garth’s grasp and rushing to his Scyther’s side. “Oh, no, Strike!”

I figured Derak would get wrecked pretty bad, but I didn't expect it to go like this. Now all I can do is hope Strike didn't get too messed up by Scizor.

He brought out his Pokeball and Safari Ball and recalled his Nidorino and Scizor. With a shrug, Aiden’s blue-haired accomplice wandered off, with Aiden himself following. The arrogant trainer did glance back, however, casting what seemed to be a brief look of sorrow before leaving.

So Aiden has a bit more depth than I thought... I'm sure that will lead to something.

“Stupid creep,” Derak growled. “How many more jerks like that am I going to meet?”

“Unfortunately, people like him are in endless supply,” Garth sighed. “How is Scyther?”

“Scyyy…therrrrr,” Strike growled, struggling to get to its feet and pursue its nemesis.

“Whoa, Strike, take it easy!” Derak cried, holding his Scyther down. “Look, I don’t think we’re strong enough to take on that Scizor yet. Tell you what, how about we take a break to get you healed, then we’ll go for the Gym and get some practice in. What do you say?”

“Theerr,” Strike growled, glaring in the direction Aiden had gone, but nonetheless turned its gaze to Derak and nodded. “Scy-ther.”

Unfortunately, I doubt the Gym is going to go much better for him right now.

Elsewhere in Kanto, two pairs of feet—one wearing shoes, the other bare—traversed a forested pathway. With an irritated groan, Skull did his best to keep pace with N, despite the latter’s taller stature.

Wouldn't Skull's feet be better classified as paws?

“Why are we even bothering to go through here?” the Marowak complained. “It’s not like Nobunaga’s gonna jump out of the bushes or something.”

“I know,” N replied. “But, as strong as you are, we cannot do this alone. We need to find some friends who would be willing to help us.”

Now watch Nobunaga actually do that.

“Yeah, because Zekrom’s one weakness is obviously the mighty Caterpie,” Skull snorted. “What are we going to do? Find an Aron with the Sturdy ability, teach it Endeavor, slap on a Shell Bell and call it invincible?”

Well I see Skull picked up some metagame knowledge from his travels. That got me to laugh out loud.

“I would never condone such a dirty tactic,” N said in disgust. “No, what we need is a friend with earnest strength and a stronger heart. Zekrom’s name alone would frighten away many a Pokemon, let alone a battle with it.”

A rustling in a nearby bush caught N’s attention, prompting him to stop. Skull narrowed his eyes, readying his bone and preparing to step forth.

Could there be a more perfect contradiction between two characters that just work together so well? They're perfect together.

What came out, however, was a pink-bodied Pokemon just barely larger than Skull, with yellow markings on its legs and stomach. Its beady black eyes were filled with fear, one that doubled in intensity upon seeing N and Skull. In a panic, the Pokemon opened its mouth and sent forth a massive red tongue, which wrapped around a tree branch and carried it across the path in an instant.

“Wait, Lickitung! Please!” N pleaded, but the Pokemon was long gone. “That Lickitung…it was so afraid…but of what?”

Skull’s eyes suddenly went wide, and the Marowak then leapt in front of N. He began spinning his bone just as a jet of fire erupted from between the trees. The spinning bone dispersed the flame, and once the jet subsided, Skull began growling angrily.

“Take a wild guess,” he snarled.

Another Pokemon waded out of the bushes, this one larger and more intimidating. Its anteater-like body was dominantly red with yellow streaks, its pointed head as brown as the tube-like protrusions running down its back. A large red pipe emerged from its rear, and upon catching sight of N and Skull, the Pokemon flexed its golden claws in anticipation.

A Heatmor in Kanto, fighting a Lickitung no less? Interesting development.

“Heaaat-morrr,” the Pokemon snarled, a flame-like tongue whipping out of its mouth.

“But…why?” N blinked. “Heatmors live in mountains in Unova…why is this one—”

“Probably some guy’s slave,” Skull said bitterly.

As if to prove it, the Heatmor formed a sphere of energy between its claws. It then threw the Focus Blast directly at Skull, though the Marowak simply knocked it aside with one swipe of his bone.

“Aw, that’s cute,” he scoffed. “This idiot wants a fight.”

How very Skull of you, Skull.

Had Heatmor’s mouth been bigger, it would have grinned upon hearing Skull speak. The anteater’s flaming tongue slid out of its mouth, and as it did so , the tongue began to glow green. Heatmor reared its head back before lurching forward, whipping its tongue towards Skull. To its shock, however, its attack found a completely different target.

“Mor?” Heatmor blinked. It quickly retracted its tongue, attempting to reassess its options. Skull pounded his free hand with his bone, indicating his readiness to use it against the anteater. With a final glare at its foes, Heatmor dove back into the bushes.

“Leave it,” N sighed, knowing that Skull would chase after the fleeing Fire-type. “We need to find that Lickitung.”

I still really think this is a bad idea. Derak should be rethinking doing this now.

[quote]“Keep your mind as blank as possible,” Garth warned. “The Gym Leader is famous for having psychic powers rivaling those of her Pokemon. The ability to read minds could be within her capabilities.”

“…uh, how do humans get psychic powers in the first place?” Derak blinked.

“You would be surprised what certain humans are capable of,” Garth replied. “Now, go, and remember what I told you.”

Derak simply shrugged and left. Garth, meanwhile, gazed down at his canteen.

Then again, he thought, regardless of what certain humans are capable of…there are some capabilities we may be better off without.{/quote]

I bet I know what that means. Linking?

“Lickitung must have gone this way,” N said quietly as he weaved by the various tree branches and shrubs that entered his path. “Skull, how are you faring?”

“Like crap,” the Marowak spat back, using his bone to hack away whatever plant life was unfortunate enough to be in front of him. “Why are we chasing something that has nothing but tongue in its body?”

"Nothing but tongue in its body" is a hilarious image.

“Like I said earlier, we need to make sure that it’s all right,” N replied. “It was attacked by Heatmor, just like we were.”

“Yeah, yeah, and we need to see if it’ll tag along to fight Zekrom,” Skull groaned. “We’re not setting the bar very high, are we?”

“That would only be if Lickitung agrees to join us,” N said. “Otherwise, we will leave it be.”

Eventually, the two came upon a small clearing, where a familiar pink Pokemon was on its back, panting heavily. Lickitung’s tongue laid flat across the grass, clearly sore from its owner’s desperate attempts at using it to escape. The Pokemon itself casually turned its head, and upon spying N and Skull, it went into a panic once again. It scrambled to its feet, but it only took several steps for Lickitung’s tired body to fail it, causing the entire Pokemon to fall onto the grass once more.

I wonder if N realizes that he just accidentally caused Lickitung to harm itself further, even if by a little bit.

“Please, Lickitung, don’t be afraid,” N said, holding up his hands in a show of peace. “We aren’t with Heatmor. It attacked us, as well.”

“Licki?” Lickitung blinked, confused at this stranger’s words.

“Here, let us help you,” N said, kneeling down. “Is your tongue hurt? Can we help you heal it?”

“Liiiick,” Lickitung moaned, glancing down at its tongue. After a moment of thought, it nodded.

“Thank you, Lickitung…for giving me a chance,” N smiled. “Skull, could you guard Lickitung for a moment? I need to find some Oran or Sitrus berries.”

I have to say, you're doing N's personality very well. He's surprisingly difficult to get right.

“Geez, look at this thing,” Derak muttered, looking upon the rather outrageous Saffron Gym. The building was quite large, with an even bigger white roof split into many curving structures held up by pointed arches. “Do I even want to know what kind of statement you’re trying to make here?”

Derak approached the door and grabbed the handle, but his initial pull could not budge the door. He pulled again, but the door remained steadfast. He even propped his foot against the door and pulled with all his might, but the result was the same.

“Okay, what the heck’s going on here?” Derak sighed. “There’s no sign saying the Gym’s closed, so why won’t the door open?”

As if to answer him, a freakish purple hand suddenly phased through the door and latched onto Derak’s head. The hand promptly yanked him forward, somehow causing him to pass through the door as if it were not even there. Derak fell onto the other side of the door, where he managed to find a second hand holding the door shut.

Is...is that hand who I think it is?!

“Okay…now I’m really confused,” Derak grumbled as he got up. The two hands drifted towards each other, and soon a monstrous purple head with a gaping fanged mouth materialized between them.

“Haunter,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Gas Pokemon. Type is Ghost and Poison. Evolved form of Gastly. It likes to lurk in the dark and touch shoulders with a gaseous hand. Its touch causes endless shuddering.”

OH YES! IT IS! You don't know how much this is making me smile right now.

By the way, I think you should find some other words for Derak's Pokedex's speech besides "reported."

“Okay, whatever,” Derak sighed, turning away from the Ghost-type and making his way deeper into the Gym. “Let’s see…where’s the Gym Leader going to be?”

As if responding to his question, the Haunter appeared in front of him, waving its hands in front of Derak’s face.

“Oh, what do you want?” Derak snapped. “Last I checked, something that deliberately bars a door just to yanks through it isn’t the most trustworthy thing around.”

“Haun?” Haunter blinked. It then gave what seemed to be an apologetic bow. “Haaauun-ter.”

“Haun, haunter!” Haunter nodded again. It pointed down the hall, to a final door at the very end.

“Okay, thanks,” Derak said. “Hey, listen…I didn’t mean to sound all suspicious of you, okay? It’s just…I get enough crud from a psychotic Rotom that’s apparently been following me around, and I don’t need more than one Pokemon doing that.”

“Haun-ter,” nodded the Gas Pokemon, one hand patting Derak on the shoulder. A rush of cold suddenly tore through the boy’s body, emanating from the spot that Haunter had touched.

“O-okay, can you not do that?” Derak shuddered. “It’s…it’s really not comfortable.”

“Haunt-er,” the Ghost-type bowed again.

“Great, thanks,” Derak breathed, rubbing his arms in an attempt to force away the cold. He continued to do this as he moved on, eventually pushing his way through the door and finding a large battlefield. At the other end of the field was a green-haired woman seated on a golden throne, eyes closed in meditation. She wore a magenta top with white pants, and around her wrists were two large black-and-green bracelets.

Or not. I'm actually surprised that Haunted didn't play a trick on him.

“Derak Kadir…was it?” the woman said as she stood up. “Welcome to Saffron Gym.”

“Uh…how did you know my name?” Derak blinked.

“I am a psychic,” the woman answered. “My name is Sabrina. I foresaw your arrival…and I have also foreseen several different outcomes to our battle. Let us see which one is correct.”

“Uh…oh…kay,” Derak said slowly. Haunter suddenly reappeared by his side, gaining a small smile from Sabrina. “So, is this Haunter yours?”

“Not exactly,” Sabrina shook her head. “In truth, Haunter belongs to no one, but it remains with me at the request of a trainer I battled some time ago. It helps me maintain my…mental state, if you will.”

“I…don’t think I want to know,” Derak blinked. “So…we going to get started?”

No, Derak, you probably don't. Heaven help you if Sabrina's old personality becomes a relevant detail to your story.

“Yes,” Sabrina nodded. “The standard rules apply…a three-on-three single battle in which only the challenger may make substitutions. I shall begin…with Alakazam.”

Rather than physically throw a Pokeball, one simply levitated in front of her before bursting open. In a flash, Sabrina’s choice appeared, a yellow-and-brown fox-like Pokemon just under five feet tall with a silver spoon in each hand and a long handlebar mustache. Standing on its two clawed feet, the Pokemon stared intently at Derak, awaiting his first choice.

You're finished, Derak. Go home now.

“Alakazam,” the Pokedex reported, “the Psi Pokemon. Type is Psychic. Evolved form of Kadabra. The spoons clutched in its hands are said to have been created by its psychic powers. Its brain cells continually multiply until it dies, and as a result, it remembers everything since the day of its birth.”

“Guess I should have figured a Psychic-type would be all about brains,” Derak shrugged. “Okay, don’t have a lot of options, so…Wildfire, let’s go!”

Although it lacked true eyebrows, Sabrina’s Alakazam would most likely have raised one upon seeing Derak’s Chimchar. It also, however, knew better than to underestimate an opponent, and thus the Psychic-type narrowed its eyes and gripped its spoons tightly.

“Then…let us begin,” Sabrina said, moving one hand forward and closing her eyes.

Despite lacking an order to do so, Alakazam formed a Shadow Ball between its spoons. With a flick, the Psi Pokemon fired the Shadow Ball and watched with satisfaction as it slammed into Wildfire’s body. The force of the attack sent a shocked Wildfire sliding to the edge of the arena, though it managed to push itself to its feet.

“Hey, wha—”

“Alakazam may seem to be acting of its own accord,” Sabrina interrupted calmly, “but I had given it an order through telepathy rather than vocally. Did you really think your sixth Gym battle was going to be as easy as the ones before it?”

I find writing battles without commands being given by one side to be very difficult, so high marks here as well.

Derak gritted his teeth as Sabrina’s words hit home.

“Great…okay, Wildfire, this isn’t going to be easy, but we need to try,” Derak said, receiving a nod from his Chimchar. “Okay, let’s break out the best that we’ve got. Use Flame Wheel!”

Wildfire leapt forth in a flaming somersault that barreled towards Alakazam, only to be stopped in mid-air as a blue aura surrounded the Fire-type’s body. Alakazam flicked one of its spoons upward, and Wildfire suddenly rocketed up into the ceiling. The Chimchar remained up there for a moment, suspended by Alakazam’s Psychic, until the Psi Pokemon saw fit to lower the fire monkey halfway to the ground before unceremoniously dropping it onto the floor.

And this is exactly why I knew Derak would have trouble here. I just don't think he has what it takes to stop something like Alakazam from doing this.

“Wildfire! Hey, you okay?” Derak called. His Chimchar struggled to rise, the beating it took from Alakazam’s attacks taking its toll. “Okay, this is definitely going to be a lot tougher than we thought…uh…crap, what do we do…?”

Wildfire clenched its jaw and slammed one fist into the ground. Its trainer had few usable Pokemon, so he had to be depending heavily on every single one that he could use. He was putting so much faith into a Chimchar…even if it was a scared, miserable one like Wildfire. The name was still there, and Derak still used it. It was not just a drone to him…it was a living being.

And now was the time that it earned its place.

Wildfire stood up, fists clenched as its flaming tail burned violently. Its eyes narrowed, and with a growl, it took one step forward.

The Psi Pokemon charged up another Shadow Ball, but Wildfire’s fist tightened as it prepared a Thunderpunch. It awaited the coming of the Shadow Ball, and once the dark sphere was close, the Chimchar thrust its electrified fist directly into the center of the sphere. That one punch was enough to decimate the Shadow Ball, sending shadowy sparks scattering everywhere.

“Haaaauun!” grinned Haunter, clapping its hands. “Haun, haunter!”

“Whoa…heh, go, Wildfire!” Derak smiled.

“Char,” Wildfire smirked, looking back at its trainer. It felt a surge of energy rushing through it, and that was how it knew the time to strike was now.

But everything changed when Wildfire saw that it was glowing.

“Char?!” the monkey shrieked, stumbling back onto its rear. It slapped at its arms desperately, attempting to swat away the glow of evolution.

“Oh, crap,” Derak gasped. He quickly formed his hands into a ‘T’-shape. “Time out! Hold on, time out, I need to stop this!”

He held the monkey close to him, believing that his body would help suppress the evolution. Wildfire wrapped its arms around itself, evidently thinking on the same wavelength.

“Just try and hold it in!” Derak cried. “I know you can do this, pal! You’re fine just the way you are, and if you don’t want to change, then I won’t let it happen! That’s just what friends do, right? Look out for each other?”

Wildfire clutched its arms even more tightly together, wishing that it would not evolve. It didn’t care how much stronger it would become because of evolution. As long as the memory of Nick Spire’s animalistic Infernape was present in its mind—along with the knowledge that it could turn out the exact same way—Wildfire knew that evolution was too much of a risk. It continued to wish fervently for the evolution to pass away.

And then it did. The glow subsided, and Wildfire looked down at its hands. They were still yellow, and its arms were still orange. It felt its face, feeling no significant changes. And then it heaved a sigh of relief.

Glad you remembered that detail; it presents a humanizing element to Wildfire.

Also, in a more shortsighted way, there's another benefit - Monferno's Fighting-type would have given him more problems in this Gym.

“Oh, man…thank goodness,” Derak sighed. “Seriously, don’t scare me like that, okay? Just try not to do that again.”

“Char,” Wildfire nodded with a small smile.

“If you don’t mind my asking,” Sabrina ventured, “why are you and your Chimchar so afraid of evolution?”

“Long story short, Infernapes are bad news,” Derak said as he got up. “Listen, we’re going to need to put the Gym battle on hold. You know, until Wildfire and I work out our…issues.”

I didn't think the challenge would last for long, so this is fairly expected.

“Very well,” Sabrina nodded. “I can sense that you genuinely care about what your Pokemon wants…but I must warn you that what is best for your Pokemon may not always be what they want.”

Derak nodded, although he barely heard her over the ideas he mulled over in his head. As he turned to leave, he made a mental checklist of subjects to ask Garth or Nurse Joy about, all of which pertained to preventing Wildfire’s evolution.

“Come on, little guy,” Derak said. “There has to be a way to get you stronger without making you evolve.”

As they approached the door, however, their means of exit swung open. Another figure entered from the other side, this one narrowing her eyes at the sight of Derak.

As Melissa’s battle with Sabrina went underway, Skull remained next to the fallen Lickitung. The pink Pokemon was still flat on the ground, though it had taken to massaging its colossal tongue every now and then. Skull leaned on his bone, glancing about.

“You would be surprised,” came the voice of N as he stepped back into the clearing, a bunch of spherical blue berries in his arms. “I’m very sorry for being so late, but it was hard to find Oran berries that no other Pokemon were going to be eating…”

That's very in-character of him to keep that concern in mind.

“Whatever,” Skull groaned. “Just give tongue-tastic here the berries so we can be on our way.”

“Of course,” N said, kneeling down in front of Lickitung. “Here, eat some of these. I promise, they’ll make you feel better.”

Lickitung complied, and as N fed the berries to it, the wounds on the Pokemon’s tongue began to vanish. Soon, the injuries were completely gone, and Lickitung withdrew its massive tongue into its body once more.

“Lickih!” cried the Pokemon happily. “Licki-tung!”

“You’re welcome,” N smiled. “Oh…this might sound insensitive, but…we need your help, Lickitung. A friend of mine has been taken from me, and…I need help getting him back. If it’s all right with you…could you help us?”

“And, if you can’t, point us to who can,” Skull added. “Wandering around aimlessly isn’t gonna get us anywhere.”

“Licki!” Lickitung nodded. It placed its hand in N’s, giving it a shake of agreement. “Licki, licki-tung!”

“You’ll…do it? Even if my friend's name is Zekrom?” N asked, receiving a surprisingly quick nod from Lickitung. “Thank you…my friend. Now, before we can go…I’m sorry, but I need to put you in a Pokeball. I know that some Pokemon hate it, like Skull here, but it’s easier to travel with a group of Pokemon that way. Besides…if you’re already in a ball, no selfish trainers could use you without your permission. Okay?”

I don't fully understand the "Even if my friend's name is Zekrom" line.

Lickitung nodded again, and N reluctantly tapped it with a Pokeball. The pink Pokemon was absorbed inside, causing the ball to shake three times and then ring.

“Every time I do that…I feel like a portion of me dies inside,” N sighed.

I'm glad you pointed out that with N. I was almost beginning to wonder about why he was doing it so willingly.

“Hey, at least you have a conscience about enslaving Pokemon,” Skull shrugged. “I’ve known, what, two or three humans who have that? Out of the millions of them on this planet, you’re one of the few that actually has a sense of decency.”

“Skull…thank you,” N smiled. “Coming from you, that means a lot…come on…let’s go try and find some more helpers.”

*****

Miles away, however, a familiar anteater trudged back to a large cave. The entrance, carved into the side of a mountain, almost beckoned it to enter. But it stood its ground, knowing what would happen if it entered without permission.

“HEAT-MOR!” the anteater called into the cave. A growl could be heard from within, as well as a shuffle of slow movement.

“What?” a ragged voice growled. “What is it, Heatmor? Why do you have no food?”

“Mor, heat…heat-mor, heat, heat-mor-heat-mor-mor,” Heatmor stammered.

“A talking Marowak and its trainer? That’s your reason for failure?” the voice replied, a slow scraping sound coming closer and closer to the cave entrance. “Never mind. Marowak hides are too tough to be edible, same goes for all those indestructible bones of theirs.”

“Heat! Heat-mor! Mor, mor-heat!” Heatmor cried.

“What? Did you…heh, is that so?” the voice replied.

A figure slowly stepped out of the cave and into the light, revealing itself to be a man wearing a tattered set of clothes covered in leather straps. Each strap was packed with knives, bones, ropes, and other various odds and ends. The man scraped one of his knives—a particularly large one with a serrated edge—against the cave wall, apparently sharpening it.

“Run that by me again,” the man chuckled, running a hand through his long, messy hair. “You’re saying you saw someone from our old friends at Team Plasma? Someone important, at that?”

“Mor, heat-mor!” nodded Heatmor.

“Heh-heh-heh…so, you’ve finally come out into the world…have you, ‘Lord’ N?” the man chuckled. “Heatmor, round up the others. I think it’s time we showed our dear former lord what happens in the real world.”

*****

I-Is that who I think it is? If that's him, then the one thing I knew could make this whole situation worse just happened.

This was a good chapter. You handled the multiple running plotlines well, with none of them stepping on the others. The outcome of Derak's Gym challenge was predictable to a degree, but as far as why he didn't win the Badge, that much was a surprise. N and Skull's story here was a little less important, but it was still nice to see them for a time and get to see Lickitung. And that ending... if that ending is telling me what I think it is, it gives me chills.

Last edited by The Great Butler; 3rd April 2013 at 10:26 AM.

(Banner by Matori)Beyond all ideals, the truth shall set you free...
Most Recent: 20: The Weight of the World (Part 2)
Next: Father

After a long period of losing interest in Pokemon fan-fiction, personal problems, and working through college classes, I have returned to Serebii to breathe life back into this old carcass of a story. My reason? Simply put, I felt like it. I wanted to finish this thing, and writing it has been making me feel good, so I figured "why not". My writing will probably have changed somewhat, maybe even have gotten rusty. It might take me a while to get back into the swing of things, but I imagine I'll get my old momentum back soon enough.

Now, with the prelude out of the way, I give you the next chapter in this journey.

Chapter 25: Saffron City Pokemon Contest

Night had fallen on Saffron City as Derak and Wildfire sat in the Pokemon Center. The Chimchar sat in Derak’s lap, looking down at itself as if still expecting a spontaneous evolution. Nurse Joy soon appeared from behind the counter, prompting Derak to take Wildfire into his arms and approach her.

“Here you go, sir,” Nurse Joy said cheerfully as she handed Derak a small grey rock. “That Everstone will keep your Chimchar from evolving as long as it holds it.”

“Thanks,” Derak said, handing Wildfire the Everstone. The monkey gently held it between its hands, wondering how such a small rock could prevent it from evolving. “Don’t lose it, okay? Seeing you go through that once was enough of a scare.”

“Char,” Wildfire nodded, clutching the stone in one hand.

“Nice to know you’re finally loosening up a little,” Derak smiled, rubbing his Chimchar’s head. “Okay…Garth’s already in bed, so we might as well get going, too.”

“I’m sorry it took so long to get you that Everstone,” Nurse Joy said with an apologetic bow, “but, you see, so few trainers actually want them and—”

“Just forget about it,” Derak sighed.

“Oh…okay,” Nurse Joy said slowly. “Well, your room’s down the hall. Have a good night!”

Derak only gave her a brief nod as the nurse went to her own room. He returned Wildfire to its Pokeball and clipped it back onto his belt with a sigh.

Before we go back into that Gym, we need to figure out how to deal with Sabrina’s Alakazam. Derak thought. That thing was beating the living tar out of Wildfire with no effort at all. But what can we do? I don’t see how training helps, especially since ‘obedience’ isn’t my strong point and shouldn’t be my Pokemon’s either.

Then Melissa’s taunting words from earlier that day, the words he heard as he left the Saffron Gym, rang through his mind: “How about you stop treating your Pokemon like your babies and start actually TRAINING them? Then you might actually win something for once!”

“And I’m DEFINITELY not doing anything SHE recommends,” Derak growled as if in reply. “Ugh…what to do?”

He leaned back in his chair, allowing his eyes to drift across the Pokemon Center. They eventually rested on a poster placed on the side wall, with the words “POKEMON CONTEST” printed on it.

Pokemon Contest tomorrow, huh? Standard rules apply, held in the Saffron Contest Dome, no prior registration necessary, Derak read. Hmm…maybe I will train my guys. But it won’t be in the way Armare thinks.

*****

“You have GOT to be joking,” Garth growled the next morning. “You are entering a Pokemon Contest?”

“Why not?” Derak shrugged. “Need some training somehow, and there’s no way I’m doing drills with my team or something jerkish like that.”

“Still, a Contest?” Garth repeated. “I fail to see how dancing and showing off makes anyone stronger, least of all you.”

“We shall all pursue our goals through our own means,” a familiar voice interjected, and soon an equally-familiar harp-carrying bard approached the two. “Derak, I hear you are entering a Pokemon Contest?”

“I’d have to wonder how you haven’t, considering that Garth was just blasting it across the whole lobby,” Derak shrugged. “But, yeah, I’m entering. Why?”

“I wanted to wish you the best of luck if it were the case,” Nando smiled. “After our battle in the P1 Grand Prix, I would be honored to face you on the Contest stage as well.”

“You really should not sell yourself so short,” Nando said. “If you are nervous, then Teresa and I can help you prepare.”

“Wait, what? Really?” Derak blinked.

“But of course,” Nando smiled. “It was my pleasure to help you prepare for the Celadon Gym, and it will also be my pleasure to aid you in your Contest preparations.”

“Well…okay, then,” Derak shrugged as he got up.

“Oh, this should be good,” Garth snorted as Nando and Derak left. On the way out, however, they found Timmy Grimm at the door.

“Oh, hey, Derak,” Timmy said. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” Derak shrugged. “Decided to try out this Contest thing.”

“Really? Cool!” Timmy smiled. “Good luck!”

Derak simply shrugged and left, Nando following with a polite nod to Timmy. The former Phantom Coordinator, however, stopped to put a hand to his chin. He soon released his Dusknoir, which floated beside him.

“Dussk?” the Ghost-type grunted inquisitively.

“Hey, you know how I always use you in the battle round?” Timmy asked. “Derak’s entering this Contest, and putting you in a battle with him would just be overkill. So we’ll need to come up with something else, okay?”

“Dusk,” nodded Dusknoir.

“Great!” Timmy said. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do…”

*****

“Hello, all you Contest fans!” cried Lillian, her curly orange hair bouncing in time with her enthusiastic movements. “Welcome to the Saffron City Pokemon Contest, where you’ll witness appeals so beautiful that you’ll be left in awe! So, without further ado, let’s get this party started!”

As Lillian introduced the judges, Derak sat backstage with his Chimchar in a chair, fiddling with his Pokedex. Other coordinators talked amongst each other, paced about, or quickly recited the directions for their respective appeals. Wildfire glanced about at them, nervously hoping that it would not be the first to perform.

“Uh…excuse me, Derak,” murmured Teresa. “Is…is it all right if I…sit here?”

“Do whatever you want,” Derak shrugged, not taking his eyes off of the Pokedex.

“Th-thank you,” Teresa stuttered, carefully sitting next to him. “So…how are you doing?”

“Well, you and Nando made me feel a little better, so thanks,” Derak said, stuffing his Pokedex back into his pocket. “Just hope I don’t run into—”

“Well, look who it is!” laughed Aiden Takeshi as he strutted his way past. “Guess I know who we WON’T be seeing in the winner’s circle!”

“Because he thinks he’s too special to treat anyone else—human or Pokemon—with any decency,” Derak spat hatefully. “People like him make me sick.”

Teresa, however, kept quiet. This business was too sensitive for her to say any more.

“Up first is a Contest favorite!” cried Lillian over the plasma television mounted backstage. “Heeere’s Nando!”

Calm as ever, Nando stepped out onto the stage, giving the audience a brief bow before presenting his Pokeball.

“Now…Leavanny, let us begin our performance!” Nando cried as he threw his Pokeball of choice.

From Nando’s Pokeball emerged a yellow-bodied insect that stood on two needle-like legs. It appeared to be wearing an outfit made entirely of leaves, complete with a leafy coattail and two leafy arms.

“Leavanny,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Nurturing Pokemon. Type is Bug and Grass. Evolved form of Swadloon. It weaves clothing from leaves for small Pokemon by using a sticky secretion from its mouth. It keeps its eggs warm by using heat from fermenting leaves.”

“Now, Leavanny, begin with Razor Leaf, please,” Nando said as he calmly strummed his harp.

The Nurturing Pokemon complied with a mighty wave of its arms, scattering a flurry of leaves into the air.

“Follow up with Sticky Web, if you please.”

Leavanny spat a plethora of silk strings from its mouth, each of which attached to one of the airborne leaves. The leaf-garbed insect then pulled on the strings, bringing the leaves down to its level. Once all of the leaves were within reach, Leavanny began to quickly but carefully weave something using the silk and leaves.

He soon found out, however, once Leavanny finished. The completed product was a replica of Nando’s harp, complete with silk strings and a small, leafy version of the cat-like Pokemon that was carved into it.

“Now, let us finish with Grass Whistle, please,” Nando smiled before beginning to play a song on his harp.

Leavanny followed its trainer’s lead, accompanying Nando’s number with a similar but complimentary piece. The melody was almost unbelievably calming, to the point of making Derak forget his troubles for a moment. He just wanted to relax for a while, just to bask in the melody…

Eventually, however, the song came to an end.

“That was a beautiful appeal for both the eyes and the ears!” Lillian cried.

“I agree,” Mr. Contesta nodded, wearing the same crimson suit that he always did. “Nando’s appeals may all have a similar theme, but he always finds a way to keep them unique. I approve!”

“Yes!” agreed Mr. Sukizo. “It was remarkable!”

“Leavanny’s skill with the string and leaves was wonderful to watch,” Nurse Joy added.

“Hmm? Oh, don’t worry about it,” Derak replied. He stared at the screen as Nando bowed and took his leave. How am I supposed to compete with that guy? Every time I see him, he blows everyone else out of the water!

“Next up,” Lillian declared, “is Elliot Trey of Gateon Port!”

Derak nearly fell out of his seat at the mention of his most hated rival, and even Wildfire was startled out of its trance. Sure enough, Elliot’s smirking face could be seen on stage, smugly waving to the audience.

Elliot’s entering?! Derak thought. He wasn’t here backstage, so where was he while all the other appeals were going on?

“Piplup, come out!” Elliot cried as he threw a familiar blue Pokeball into the air.

Elliot’s starter Pokemon appeared on stage, its wings planted on its hips in its haughtiest possible pose. Derak narrowed his eyes, waiting for their first move.

“Now, Piplup, begin with Stealth Rock!” Elliot cried.

Piplup formed several diamonds next to its body before expelling them to the four corners of the stage. A colossal stone rose from each corner, towering over the small penguin.

“Shall we proceed?” Elliot grinned. “Use Bubble Beam!”

Piplup fired its signature stream of spheres at one of the rocks. Rather than destroy the stone, however, the Bubble Beam deflected off and traveled over to the next stone. This pattern repeated until the Bubble Beam reached the last stone, the beam ricocheting towards Piplup itself.

“Now!” Elliot cried. “Use Fury Attack!”

With its beak alone, Piplup knocked every sphere from the Bubble Beam into the air above it, only stopping when the spheres were balanced on top of one another in a column mounted on Piplup’s beak.

“For the grand finale…Drill Peck!”

Piplup’s body began to spin rapidly, and the Water-type shot through each of the bubbles like a rocket. The destruction of each bubble heralded a glistening shower that coated Piplup’s body even as the Penguin Pokemon landed back on the stage.

“Outstanding!” Mr. Contesta exclaimed. “Elliot and Piplup are in perfect sync, and he knows just how to show off his Pokemon’s power and skill.”

“He did perform quite well,” Nando remarked as he came back into the backstage room. “I imagine that he will be a ferocious contender in the battle round, as well.”

Derak said nothing, but frowned. This was going to be harder than he thought.

****

“So, let me get this straight,” Skull grunted as he and N traversed another forest path. “We’re going to keep wandering around like this until we miraculously find more cases like Lickitung?”

“That is more or less the case,” N replied. Skull opened his mouth to continue, but N cut him off. “I understand your concerns, and I agree that this sort of plan is not likely to succeed. But, it is our best option. We cannot simply force Pokemon to help us.”

“Putting all our hopes in perfect convenience isn’t exactly the best option, either,” Skull countered. “I still say that we can take on Nobunaga the way we—”

He suddenly stopped.

“What is it?” N asked, stopping as well.

Skull didn’t answer, but instead spun around while swinging his bone towards the air behind him. A series of rocks burst from the ground surrounding the two, soaring into the air and striking down a large grey-and-black bird Pokemon.

“Why did you--?!” N began, but the sight of a familiar red Pokemon cut him off.

The Heatmor that N and Skull had fought earlier had returned, trudging up beside the fallen bird Pokemon. By Heatmor’s side was what appeared to be a pink bear with a spiky two-eyed hermit crab shell clamped onto its tail.

“Slooowwww,” droned the bear as it pointed its clawed arms towards the bird, releasing a small wave of pink energy that washed over the bird’s body. Once the energy faded, the bird rose to its feet, displaying the blade-like comb of hair above its boomerang-shaped forehead.

“Looks like our old pal brought a party,” Skull remarked as he eyed the Slowbro and Staraptor. “And one of them needs some serious fashion advice.”

“Hea, heat-mor!” the fiery anteater declared, pointing one clawed hand at the duo of N and Skull.

Something rustled in the bushes, and before anyone could react, a canine with long black fur rushed into the fray with mouth wide open. The Mightyena clamped its fangs onto Skull’s bone-wielding arm, prompting a cry of pain from the Marowak as he was dragged across the path.

“Skull!” N cried, but his companion was already being pulled through more bushes and out of sight. He turned to the remaining Pokemon. “Why are you doing this? You are organized and capable of planning…what would you have to gain by attacking us?”

“They gain what every creature gains,” a hoarse voice replied.

Heatmor and Slowbro stepped aside as Staraptor took to the air, and the Pokemon’s evident master—the leather-wearing man from the cave—casually strode between them. He licked saliva off of his lips and smiled, showing some rather large teeth.

“It’s been a long time, ‘Lord’ N,” the man grinned.

“You…who are you?” N asked. “I have only told my name to a few select people outside of—”

“Team Plasma?” the man interrupted, pulling a knife out of the leather straps and examining it. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t know me. Name’s Damon. I was just a rank-and-file grunt under your rule in Unova, up until those stupid kids all ruined Ghetsis’ plan—as admittedly stupid as it was.”

“You served Ghetsis?” N gasped. “Why are you here in Kanto?”

“Times have changed,” Damon sighed. “Ghetsis is gone, and what’s left of Team Plasma is all about hugging the trees and whatever happens to live in them. They’re all following your example, as if that’ll get you to lord over them again.”

“And what about you?” N asked, slowly balling his hand into a fist.

“Me?” Damon smirked. “I’m leading a simpler life; kill or be killed…eat or be eaten.”

“Eat?” N blinked. “What do you mean by…?”

His eyes went wide as the truth dawned on him.

“That’s right,” Damon grinned, aiming the knife at his former lord. “Now, hold still, or the meat will get tough.”

****

“Now, Meowth, use Fury Swipes!”

Back in Saffron City’s Contest Hall, Aiden Takeshi had taken the stage alongside a small beige cat with a gold coin on its forehead. The cat, evidently called Meowth, leapt into the air and brandished a set of sharp claws once it saw a small group of rubber balls that Aiden had rather haphazardly tossed into the air. Despite their steadily-growing distance, Meowth was able to slice every single ball in the bunch to ribbons.

“Okay, let’s wrap this up with Pay Day!” Aiden cried.

Meowth somersaulted in mid-air, landing on Aiden’s head with its back to the audience. It then whipped itself around, scattering a series of shining golden coins across the edge of the stage.

“They’re all yours, folks!” Aiden declared as both he and his cat Pokemon swept their arms wide. “Enjoy, and thank you all for your time!”

In the audience, Aiden’s blue-haired accomplice leaned back with a satisfied smirk. The crowd members closest to the stage each picked up the coin nearest to them, leaving all of the shining medallions gone in a matter of seconds.

“Well done!” Mr. Contesta announced. “Not only did it keep things nice and simple, it also rewarded the audience for paying attention to Meowth’s speed and skill.”

“It was quite remarkable!” agreed Mr. Sukizo.

“I love how Meowth balanced on its trainer’s head at the end,” Nurse Joy smiled.

Aiden bowed dramatically as he left. Backstage, Derak’s frown had grown substantially and his head was now resting in his hands. He was set to perform last, an unenviable position given the strength of the appeals before him.

“And your winner has returned!” Aiden exclaimed as he burst through the doors. “Might as well just pack it in, folks—unless, of course, you’re sticking around to see me in the battle round!”

Timmy left, but not before looking back towards Derak. Seeing his old friend still staring blankly at the screen made Timmy frown with concern, but he reminded himself of his plan and went on to the stage.

“Now…go, Dusknoir!” Timmy cried.

The former Phantom Coordinator’s ace Pokemon materialized over its trainer’s head, levitating ominously with arms crossed.

“Right!” Timmy declared, planting his feet firmly on the floor. “Let’s kick this off with Will-o-Wisp!”

Dusknoir unfolded its arms and threw them outward, forming a vertical ring of blue fireballs in front of it. The Will-o-Wisp circled its creator for a moment, but then the jagged yellow line on Dusknoir’s stomach split open. Something inside the makeshift mouth sucked the fireballs inside, and soon the mouth clamped shut after all of the Will-o-Wisp was consumed. Having a supernatural fire inside it, however, caused Dusknoir’s body to glow and ominous blue as it levitated further up the stage.

“Yes, it is quite marvelous,” Nando agreed, “but it also gives me pause for thought.”

“How so?” Derak asked.

“I have had the pleasure of seeing, and sometimes witnessing, Mr. Grimm’s performances in other Contests,” Nando said. “In those, he almost always saves his mighty Dusknoir for the battle round. Seeing him use it for the appeals is, I must confess, rather unusual.”

“Hmm,” Derak muttered, staring intently at the screen. “He must be up to something.”

“Now, Dusknoir, finish this up!”

Dusknoir complied by opening its stomach-mouth again, this time spraying a jet of blue fire into the air. The jet fanned out into a wave before dissipating, allowing Dusknoir to drift back down to its trainer’s side.

“Very impressive!” Mr. Contesta smiled. “I greatly enjoyed how you focused more on Dusknoir’s natural talents than on its moves!”

“Yes, remarkable!” Mr. Sukizo agreed.

Okay, seriously, does that guy not know any other words? Derak thought.

“Dusknoir has a lot of raw power inside it,” Nurse Joy added, “and that appeal really shows its strength!”

“I think…I’m up next,” Teresa gulped.

“Good luck, my friend,” Nando smiled. “You will be fantastic on this stage.”

Teresa nodded, though her hurried walk out the door and clutching of her jacket betrayed whatever confidence she tried to exert. Once on stage, she took a deep breath and held up a single Pokeball.

“Vulpix…let’s show w-what we can do,” Teresa said as she opened the ball.

A small red fox appeared on the stage, sporting a set of six tails and a tuft of crimson fur on its head. The moment its brown paws touched the floor, the fox smiled and let out a joyful cry.

“Vulpix,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Fox Pokemon. Type is Fire. Inside Vulpix’s body is a flame that never goes out. During the daytime, when temperatures rise, Vulpix releases fire from its mouth to prevent its body from growing too hot.”

“Vulpix, um…” Teresa gulped. She took another breath. Remember what Mr. Nando taught you, she thought.

Closing her eyes, Teresa then lifted one hand to the sky.

“Vulpix, use Flame Burst!” she cried.

The small Fire-type balanced itself on its tails and spat a single fireball straight up. Just as the ball began to fall back down, Teresa gave out another order with a surprisingly firm voice.

“Extrasensory!”

Vulpix’s eyes flashed briefly, just before a continuous cyclone of rainbow energy erupted from the Fox Pokemon’s eyes. The Extrasensory met the airborne fireball and held it aloft, with Vulpix occasionally tilting its head from side to side and carrying the combined attack with it. Despite its movements, however, the Flame Burst stayed within the grasp of the Extrasensory.

“Now…finish this…with Energy Ball!” Teresa cried.

Vulpix stopped emitting light from its eyes long enough to open its mouth and fire out a ball of green light. The Energy Ball tore through Vulpix’s other attacks, scattering embers and sparks across the stage as Vulpix itself spread its forelimbs out in its cutest possible pose.

“Now, that was beautiful!” Lillian announced. “Let’s turn to our panel of judges!”

Teresa paled at the thought of criticism, but when she timidly looked over to the trio of judges, she was greeted with a warm smile and encouraging nod from Mr. Contestsa.

“Good show!” Mr. Contesta said. “I remember from Pewter City’s Contest that you had some trouble with nerves, but I’m pleased to see that you’ve been able to work through them.”

“I, uh…I had some help,” Teresa said slowly, rubbing the back of her head.

“Your performance today was remarkable!” Mr. Sukizo cried.

“Vulpix’s pose at the end was just adorable!” Nurse Joy fawned.

Backstage, Nando was smiling widely.

“Teresa has come such a long way since we met her at Pewter City, has she not?” he asked.

“Yeah…sure,” Derak murmured. The end of Teresa’s appeal, however, meant only one thing for him.

He was next.

Derak stood up and left the moment Teresa came back in, barely hearing the wishes of good luck from the other contestants. He knew what he had to do, and he knew what Pokemon he was going to use, and the two of them had—with Nando’s guidance—gone over their appeal several times. This had to work.

“Break a leg, as they say.”

As Derak got into the hallway leading to the stage, the smug voice of Elliot Trey greeted him. The boy with split personalities was casually leaning on the wall, smirking as he watched Derak approach.

“Aren’t most contestants hanging out in one room?” Derak asked.

“Most of them, yes,” Elliot nodded. “But, in all honesty, I prefer to be closer to the stage. It makes observing my competition much easier.”

Derak simply grunted and brushed past his rival. Elliot only chuckled and turned around to watch.

“And now, our final competitor!” Lillian’s voice cut through all other noises as Derak approached the stage. “From Phenac City in Orre, making his Contest debut…introducing, Derak!”

The boy carefully walked onto the stage, gripping the chosen Pokeball unusually tightly. He looked out at the audience, finding dozens—if not hundreds—of eyes peering down at him. Derak’s teeth clenched together as he held up his Pokeball.

“Well…here goes everything,” Derak sighed. “Happiny, let’s go!”

Once the ball was airborne, the pink egg-shaped Pokemon that Sarah had traded him appeared on stage. The moment its feet touched the floor, Happiny did a quick pirouette, a pleasant scent emitting from the curl of hair on its head.

“Okay, just like we practiced. Ready?” Derak asked, and Happiny nodded. “Okay, use Sweet Kiss!”

Happiny blew a kiss to the audience, somehow emitting a small group of pink hearts from its mouth in the process. The hearts then floated up into the air and curved above their creator.

“And…next is Helping Hand!” Derak cried.

The tiny arms on Happiny’s sides pointed outward, and electricity began to crackle around them. Soon, the small Normal-type released a weak arc of lightning from each of its arms, directing each bolt into the air and blasting them through each of the hearts. Once all the hearts were destroyed, the lightning dove down and struck Happiny, though the pink Pokemon’s happiness seemed to only be invigorated by the surge. From a distance, one could see the lightning form the shape of a large heart, with Happiny at its base.

“Haaap…PEENY!” cried the Normal-type, breaking off the lightning and allowing the residual sparks to scatter across the stage.

“Whew,” Derak sighed in relief. “Nice work, Happiny.”

“Hap!” Happiny nodded.

“That was quite good,” Mr. Contesta nodded. “While I feel like it was lacking something, I loved how Happiny kept smiling the whole way through.”

“Happiny was quite remarkable!” Mr. Sukizo agreed.

“That little Pokemon is so cute,” Nurse Joy smiled. “I can’t wait to see it when it evolves into a Chansey!”

“Thank you for your participation, Derak!” Lillian cried. “This concludes our appeals round! Our judges will take a brief break to figure out who goes through, but their decision is sure to be a tough one!”

Derak took Happiny in his arms and left, shooting a glare at Elliot as he passed by. Once his rival was out of earshot, Derak spoke to Happiny.

“So…you think we’ll move on?” he asked in a low voice. “I mean, sure, what we’re really shooting for is the Badges and the League, but I’d still like to do well in this, you know?”

“Hap, hap-peeny!” Happiny nodded with a smile.

“Always the optimist, huh?” Derak commented, though he found it hard to hide a smile.

Once Derak entered the backstage room, he immediately went back to his seat. Wildfire, whose gaze had originally been transfixed on the television screen, looked over to him.

“Char…?” it said slowly.

“Hey,” Derak said with a small smile. “I’ll be all right, thanks. Happiny’s the one who did most of the work, though.”

“And what a wonderful job it did,” Nando smiled.

“Yes,” Teresa nodded. “Your…first time on stage was, uh…it was better than mine.”

“I guess,” Derak sighed. He pulled his Pokedex out of his pocket and began to fiddle with it once more. Now all he could do was wait.

****

Damon’s knife plunged into a tree as N rolled across the ground. The former king of Team Plasma then jumped aside to avoid a lashing from Heatmor’s flaming tongue, though once he came to a stop, he saw Staraptor taking to the sky. Damon grinned, having also seen his avian Pokemon’s position.

“Let’s see how well you dodge this,” the feral man said darkly. “Staraptor, use Aerial Ace!”

The bird quickly dove towards N, streaks of white energy trailing from in front of it. N frowned, but did not move. He instead stood tall, and held out his arms.

“Star?” the attacking Pokemon blinked, stopping its attack. Why was its target not running?

“What are you waiting for, bird?!” Damon yelled as he yanked his knife out of the tree. “You want to be next?!”

Staraptor’s eyes widened, and with a flap of its wings it quickly resumed its attack. As before, however, N stood his ground.

“Staraptor,” he said, but the avian Pokemon shut its eyes and did its best to block him out.

And then it rammed into him.

N’s body was tossed across the ground, tumbling into a tree with a sickening thud. Damon only chuckled as he walked over to the fallen green-haired man.

“The great N, Lord of Team Plasma…reduced to THIS!” he laughed, punctuating his last work with a kick to N’s side. “It’d be funny if it weren’t so pathetic.”

“Whuh…why?” N groaned weakly. “If you were part of Team Plasma…why are you doing such terrible things to the Pokemon you swore to protect?”

“Give me a break,” Damon snorted. “I was desperate for money, so I took the first paying job I could find. I never cared about your ‘save-the-Pokemon’ crap. They’re animals, pure and simple…and so are humans.”

He knelt down, dragging the edge of his knife across N’s hat.

“Like animals, humans kill and climb over each other to get ahead,” Damon continued. “Pokemon have the capacity for this, as well. There’s no point in pretending otherwise. Studies prove it, so why hide it?”

A sudden explosion came from nearby. Damon whirled about to find the source of the noise, only to find his Mightyena being thrown unceremoniously through the trees and skidding to his feet.

“Mightyena?!” he cried. “What the hell did that?!”

“Someone,” N smiled as he struggled to his feet, “who spits in the face of all that humans think they know about Pokemon.”

With a mighty roar, Skull bolted through the trees and slammed his body into Heatmor, using his amplified dark aura to knock the fiery anteater into a tree. Though he gritted his teeth as recoil rocked his body, Skull turned towards Damon and growled.

“You make me sick,” the Marowak snarled. “You think a species as arrogant and self-serving as humans is anything like a Pokemon? Don’t make me laugh!”

Damon said nothing, but prepared his knife. Skull responded by waving his bone, sending a group of large rocks out of the ground and hurtling towards Damon. The former Plasma grunt ducked to avoid most of them, but once he got back up, he found himself knocked back to the ground by the force of Skull’s body.

“Stay down,” the Marowak snarled, pinning his bone to Damon’s neck. “Those studies you and your Mightyena keep yammering on about? Tauros crap, all of them. Humans will make up anything if it means getting recognition.”

“And the time I’ve spent with Pokemon growing up has proven to me that they are just as sentient as humans, if not more so,” N added.

“I won’t let you get the better of me—” Damon began as he tried to stab Skull, only for the bone-wielding lizard to knock his knife out of his hand.

“You were saying?” Skull said. Before Damon could speak further, Skull swiftly struck the man in the head with his bone. “Yeah, didn’t think so.”

“What, did he say things that bothered you?” Skull snorted as he stepped off of Damon’s body. “Forget about it. The guy’s a damn loon. We’ll need to stash him some place where he won’t cause trouble, though.”

“Yes,” N said. He looked over to Damon’s Pokemon. “And what of you all?”

Despite the apparent defeat of their trainer, most of the Pokemon looked rather unsure. Staraptor sheepishly approached N and looked up at him.

Derak’s grip on his Pokedex tightened as the images of the coordinators came up on screen. Nando’s image, as he expected, could be seen, as were the faces of Teresa, Aiden, and Elliot. Timmy Grimm’s image was also there, but Derak’s eyes widened at the final face.

Wildfire said nothing, but turned to its trainer and gave him a faint smile. Derak responded by gently petting his Chimchar’s head, his own smile much wider.

“Congratulations, my friend,” Nando smiled widely. “You have passed your first appeal. I am proud to have helped you reach this milestone.”

“Yeah…thanks for that, by the way,” Derak said. “Honestly, the appeal was the hardest part. Battles shouldn’t be too different from normal.”

“Yes, although you will have a time limit of five minutes,” Nando advised. “But let us focus not on the details, and instead turn our attention to the first of the battles.”

Derak did so, and grimaced at the sight of the first two trainers on stage; Elliot and Aiden. Both looked rather confident, but Elliot’s grin had a hint of malice to it.

“As you know, our coordinators must continue to show off their Pokemon, and will either gain or lose points for doing so!” Lillian announced, gesturing to the circular point meters underneath the combatants’ pictures. “With five minutes on the clock…begin!”

The first second ticked away. Without any trace of hesitation, Elliot chose a green Pokeball from his belt.

“Grovyle, fight!” he cried.

Derak raised an eyebrow at Elliot’s choice of Pokemon. It looked similar to the Treecko favored by the Jason persona, but was roughly twice as large and had a darker shade of green on most of its body. Its red underbelly and lower jaw remained, but its bulbous tail had been replaced by a pair of large leaves. More leaves sprouted from the Pokemon’s wrists, and a long single leaf emerged from the top of the creature’s head.

“Grovyle,” the Pokedex stated, “the Wood Gecko Pokemon. Type is Grass. Evolved form of Treecko. The leaves growing out of Grovyle’s body are convenient for camouflaging it from enemies in the forest. This Pokemon is a master of climbing trees in jungles.”

Aiden’s Pokeball released a large purple dinosaur-like Pokemon, sporting a large horn and spiky mouse-like ears. Its burly arms ended in claws, and its colossal tail slammed the ground in anticipation of a fight.

“Nidoking,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Drill Pokemon. Type is Poison and Ground. Evolved form of Nidorino. Nidoking’s thick tail packs enormous destructive power. With one swing, it can topple a transmission tower. Once this Pokemon goes on a rampage, there is no stopping it.”

“Wasn’t that thing a Nidorino just yesterday?” Derak asked his Pokemon.

“If that is the case, then this Aiden must have prepared well for this Contest,” Nando said.

Nidoking’s fanged mouth smirked at the sight of Grovyle. It, like its trainer, assumed this battle to be an easy win.

“Let’s make this quick!” Aiden cried. “Nidoking, Sludge Bomb!”

The Drill Pokemon opened its mouth and spat a wad of slime at its Grass-type foe. Grovyle tensed its muscles, awaiting an order. Then, when the Sludge Bomb was within a few feet of his Pokemon, Elliot grinned.

“Detect.”

Grovyle’s eyes gleamed, and in one fluid movement, the Wood Gecko Pokemon leapt into the air and twirled around, landing gracefully back on the stage.

“What?” Aiden sputtered as some of his points were detracted. “Okay, no more messing around! Drop a Rock Slide on it!”

Nidoking raised one fist into the air and let out a guttural bellow. Several feet above Grovyle, a slew of stones materialized seemingly out of nowhere, each barreling down towards the Grass-type.

“Counter with Leaf Blade!” Elliot ordered.

The leaves on Grovyle’s wrists merged together and grew into long glowing scythe-like blades, which proved useful as the reptile leapt into the air and sliced through the Rock Slide with little difficulty. While more of Aiden’s points were lost, the distraction gave time for Nidoking to rush in towards Grovyle, one fist drawn back and ready to strike.

“That’s it, Nidoking!” Aiden cried. “Use Brick Break!”

The Poison-type abruptly brought its arm down on Grovyle, who managed to catch the attack using one Leaf Blade. Unfortunately, Nidoking’s superior size and strength forced Grovyle down into one knee, the latter Pokemon struggling to hold the former back.

Nidoking opened its mouth, and Grovyle could see another wad of sludge forming in the back of the dinosaur’s throat. The Grass-type glanced back towards Elliot, who simply smirked and said two words.

“Bullet Seed.”

With a smirk on its own face, Grovyle spat a small yellow sphere of energy directly into Nidoking’s mouth. The collision of this attack with Nidoking’s Sludge Bomb created enough force to knock the purple beast onto its back.

“Nidoking!” Aiden cried. Though he looked concerned, this expression quickly faded when he saw that only a small sliver of his points were left. “Come on, get up!”

The Drill Pokemon, however, was on all fours, coughing into the floor. Once it heard its trainer’s voice, however, it gave its head a shake and stood back up on its feet.

“There we go!” Aiden cried. “Now, let’s finish this!”

“Let’s,” Elliot smirked. “Grovyle, begin.”

Grovyle spread its legs apart as a light gust stirred around it. Soon, the gust grew into a small tornado surrounding the Grass-type, whipping about the leaves on its body.

“I don’t like the look of that,” Aiden growled. “Nidoking, stop it with Echoed Voice!”

Nidoking let out another bellow, generating a series of sound waves from its mouth, but partway through the Drill Pokemon broke into another coughing fit. Grovyle winced as the sound waves came over it, but quickly shrugged it off.

Grovyle began to repeatedly swipe its arms at Nidoking, each swipe sending a blade-like blast of wind at the Poison-type. Despite being composed of air, each blade created physical bruises and cuts on its target’s body, and soon Nidoking was riddled with countless wounds. With a glare, Grovyle gave one last swing of its arm, and launched a final blast of wind that knocked its opponent onto the floor once again.

“Nidoking is down and out!” Lillian cried as Aiden’s points dropped to zero. “Our winner for this match…is Elliot!”

Elliot’s image appeared on the screen, and the boy’s blue eye twitched again. With the dominant persona back in control, the boy simply chuckled at the applause he received.

“How trifling,” he said before looking over to his Grass-type. “Well done, Grovyle.”

“Gro,” the Pokemon grunted, still glaring at Aiden and Nidoking even as the latter was reabsorbed into its Pokeball.

“And a big thank you to both coordinators for a well-fought battle!” Lillian cried, though Nurse Joy could not help but glanced worriedly at Elliot. “Next up in our list of battles is veteran coordinator Timmy Grimm versus newcomer Derak!”

“Of course,” Derak sighed.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Timmy said. “I figured this would happen, so I picked a Pokemon that’s perfect for our battle.”

“Oh, perfect,” Derak groaned as he recalled Wildfire and Happiny. “I’ll be sure to say ‘thank you’ for being so considerate as your Pokemon rips me to pieces.”

“We’ll see about that,” Timmy smirked.

****

A rather luxurious hotel room in Saffron City was just one of the many locations to which the Contest was broadcasted. A woman with a ponytail of multicolored hair—sporting orange, blue, and green colors—sat beside a red-haired boy of about nine years on a large couch as they watched Elliot and Aiden’s battle.

“To my right is the former Phantom Coordinator from Verdanturf Town, Timmy Grimm!” Lillian declared as the camera focused on Timmy. “And to my left is the mysterious boy from Orre, Derak!”

When the camera focused on Derak, the mother’s eyes widened.

It…it can’t be, she thought.

“Mom? What is it?” the red-haired boy asked.

“Ozcar…could I ask you to do something for me?” his mother asked.

“Sure!” Ozcar nodded.

“When this Contest is over,” his mother said, “I need you to run an errand for me.”

****

Soon, the two childhood friends had taken their places on stage. Timmy bore a smile, eager for this long-awaited battle. Derak, however, kept his expression neutral, attempting to hide his dread. This, he believed, was a match that would most certainly end badly.

“With five minutes on the clock…begin!” Lillian cried.

Derak reached for Wildfire’s orange Pokeball, but Timmy was quicker. His Pokeball was already in the air, and once it split open, a rather strange Pokemon came out. It appeared to be a floating brown insect shell, with a round head that played host to two narrow eyes. Above its head was a white halo, which contrasted against the Pokemon’s small skeletal wings.

“Sheeeddd-INJAAAAA!” the Pokemon cried in a surprisingly lively voice, though its face remained blank and motionless.

“What the heck is that?” Derak asked.

“This is Shedinja, a unique Ghost-type Pokemon,” Timmy smirked. “If you can land one hit on it, Shedinja’s out like a light. On the other hand, its ability prevents any move that isn’t super-effective from doing any damage.”

“…and you’re going where with this?” Derak blinked. “Hang on, is this what you meant when you said...?”

“Least I can do for an old friend,” Timmy shrugged. “Might want to hurry and pick your Pokemon, though. Time’s running out.”

Crap, Derak thought with a wince, realizing that a minute had already passed. Okay, it’s a Ghost-type…uh…hang on, I know!

He quickly grabbed Echo’s Pokeball and threw it into the sky, allowing his Zubat to do a loop-de-loop before hovering in front of its trainer.

“A Zubat? Uh…interesting choice,” Timmy remarked, though he was clearly surprised at such a weak-looking Pokemon being in the possession of a trainer with five badges. Echo seemed to notice this as well, letting out a series of irritated screeches. “Uh, anyway! Shedinja, use Phantom Force!”

A swirling mass of darkness appeared underneath Shedinja, and the insect-like ghost quietly floated down into it. The portal soon closed, but another one opened underneath Echo. Before either Derak or his Pokemon could react, Shedinja rocketed upwards and rammed headfirst into Echo’s stomach, knocking the Bat Pokemon to the floor and subtracting some of Derak’s points.

“Echo, you okay?” Derak cried. His Zubat quickly flapped back into the air, giving him a nod as it did so. “All right…use Shadow Ball!”

“Shedinja, Double Team!”

Echo shot a ball of darkness out of its mouth, but one Shedinja soon became many. The duplicate Ghost-types quickly surrounded Echo, though the Poison-type could only tell due to the noise they made.

“Just because I’m giving you a fair shot doesn’t mean I’m making it easy for you,” Timmy smirked.

“I noticed,” Derak growled. His mind raced as he desperately looked through the illusions for the real Shedinja. “Ugh, where are you? Echo, any ideas?”

Echo, however, pointed its head upward and let out another series of screeches. After a moment, it quickly turned towards the Shedinja duplicate to its right and screeched again.

“Okay, use Shadow Ball on that one!” Derak cried.

“How did it—” Timmy gasped. “Shedinja, Protect, quick!”

Shedinja’s illusion clones vanished, revealing the one to Echo’s right as the true one. Though Echo managed to fire off another Shadow Ball, a green bubble shielded the floating shell from the attack. This caused Derak’s points to drop even further.

“Now, counter with Bug Bite!” Timmy cried.

“Use your own Double Team!” Derak cried.

A pair of large fangs grew from the lower half of Shedinja’s head, but just as it lunged towards Echo, the Bat Pokemon gave it a taste of its own medicine by splitting into a series of illusions. Rather than surround its opponent, however, Echo instead opted to scatter its duplicates around the arena, some hovering closer to Shedinja and some remaining higher in the air.

“Aw, no!” Timmy cried as some of his points finally fell. “Shedinja, try to find the real one with Aerial Ace!”

Shedinja rose into the air, ascending above all of Echo’s duplicates, and began to charge through each of the illusory clones. The shell’s body darted in every direction, changing paths in the blink of an eye as it raced through all of the Zubat copies. Eventually, it slammed into the real Echo, sending both it and some of Derak’s points downward.

Shedinja vanished into another dark portal, the exit to this one opening underneath a falling Echo. Though the Zubat was able to right itself and fly again, it could not stop its ghostly opponent from striking it once more. This time, as Derak’s Poison-type fell to the floor, the rest of Derak’s points went with it.

“Hey, Derak?” Timmy said as he approached. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to be that rough.”

“Whatever,” Derak grunted as he left the stage, Echo still in his arms. Timmy frowned sadly for a moment before following.

“To be honest, I thought you would pick something stronger than a Zubat,” Timmy said to Derak’s back. “Like your Chimchar or—”

Echo suddenly shot out of Derak’s arms and flew up to Timmy’s face, screeching irritably all the while.

“Hey, whoa, easy there Ech—” Derak said as he reached for his Pokemon, but was cut off by something he had seen once before.

His Pokemon’s body started glowing white.

Echo grew from a tiny bat to a larger creature that was roughly Derak’s size. Its pointy legs developed true feet, albeit small ones, and its wings grew massively. The bat’s body also adopted a more humanoid structure, allowing it to stand on two legs with ease. Once the glow faded, Echo was revealed to have gained a pair of rather evil-looking eyes as well as a colossal mouth.

“Echo, this…this is great!” Derak cried. “Guess we got something good out of this Contest after all, huh?”

Echo smiled widely with a nod and a somewhat monstrous-sounding screech.

“I’ll look up the new you later,” Derak said as he recalled Echo. “Right now, it’s time for me to get going.”

“Wait, you’re not staying to watch the rest of the battles?” Timmy asked.

“Not much point, seeing as Echo and I lost,” Derak shrugged. “Besides, I still need to deal with the Gym.”

“Well…the next time we meet in a Contest, I bet you’ll have gotten a lot stronger,” Timmy smiled.

“If you say so,” Derak sighed. “Later.”

And with a limp wave of his hand, Derak left. Timmy waved after him, then went back to rejoin his fellow coordinators backstage.

“Derak…left already?” Teresa asked.

“Yeah,” Timmy nodded. “But I have a feeling we’ll see him in another Contest down the road. And once we do, he won’t lose.”

“I am certain of that as well,” Nando nodded. He looked over to the door, his smile fading somewhat. “Still…I find his refusal to interact with other humans for longer than he feels necessary to be somewhat worrying. Perhaps, when we see him next, we can encourage him to be more open.”

“Mr. Nando, he…he might not like that,” Teresa said timidly.

“True,” Nando nodded. “But, let us cross that bridge when it comes. For now, let us focus on our endeavors in this Contest.”

*****

Like I said, not quite back up to snuff yet. Things should improve after this chapter, though.

The newly-evolved Echo spread its wings wide, showing off its larger body for all to see. In the moments immediately following the Saffron City Pokemon Contest, however, its primary audience was Garth, who slouched in one of the Pokemon Center’s chairs and gave the bat little more than a glance.

“Well?” Derak said as he leaned on the table beside his Pokemon.

“Hmph. So, your Contest did provide some level of benefit,” Garth grunted. “In spite of that, a Golbat is a rather poor Pokemon to use against a Psychic-type Gym.”

“Oh, yeah, that reminds me,” Derak said as he pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at Echo.

“Golbat,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Bat Pokemon. Type is Poison and Flying. Evolved form of Zubat. Golbat bites down on prey with four large fangs and drinks the victim’s blood until it is full. It becomes active on moonless nights, flying around to attack people and Pokemon.”

“Uh…something tells me I’ll need to keep an eye on you from now on,” Derak said slowly.

Echo only put its wings together in a prayer-like manner, smiling as innocently as possible.

“Uh…hey, are you Derak?”

The trainer in question casually glanced to the side, finding the red-headed boy named Ozcar standing there. The boy alternated between looking at Derak and Echo, eyes full of pure wonder.

“Yeah,” Derak sighed. “What about it?”

“Oh, cool!” Ozcar cried with the widest possible smile. “I saw you in the Contest, and you were really awesome!”

He held out two small pieces of paper. Derak took them, finding one to be a ticket labeled “THE LEGEND OF ZELDA—ADMIT ONE”. Underneath the label were the words “7:00 PM CONTEST HALL”. On the other paper was a number and the words “BACKSTAGE PASS”.

“Okay…uh, give me a sec, just wait here,” Derak said before pulling Garth aside. Once they were sufficiently away from Ozcar, whom Echo began to entertain by flapping its wings and making faces, Derak hissed to his cloaked companion. “What’s a Pokemon Musical?”

“A Contest without battles,” Garth explained. “In other words, an event even more worthless than a regular Contest.”

“Figures,” Derak grunted. He went back over to Ozcar and knelt down to face him. “Okay, so…Ozcar, right? Did your mom tell you why asking me to go to her musical was so important?”

“She just said she wanted to meet you,” Ozcar shrugged. “She looked really surprised when she saw you in the Contest, like she saw a spooky Ghost Pokemon or something.”

Garth seemed to consider something for a moment before approaching Ozcar himself. Unlike Deark, however, he did not kneel.

Both trainers froze. Derak looked up at Garth, the latter giving him a solemn nod before allowing the former to look back at Ozcar.

“Tell your mom that I’ll go,” Derak said. His voice was blank and his voice was somewhat listless, but the enthusiastic Ozcar was oblivious to such minor details.

“Really? Awesome!” Ozcar cried. “I’ll go and tell her right now! See you there!”

Ozcar took off, leaving Derak to stare into space for a moment. He eventually sat down at the table and dropped his head into his hands.

“I would think that you would have a more positive reaction to finally meeting your mother,” Garth said as he sat across from the boy.

“Garth…do you realize that we were just talking to a little brother I never knew I had?” Derak said flatly.

“And this changes things for you?” Garth snorted.

“It’s just…she might have found someone better than my dad,” Derak sighed. “Yeah, it’s a low bar to reach, but…I just wanted to bring my family back together, make it the way it should have been. Having a little brother…I…”

“Make do with what is given to you,” Garth growled and stood up. “You at least HAVE a family. Stop wishing for the ideal and take what is real.”

Derak sighed and slumped in his chair for a moment. Echo looked at him curiously, waiting for him to make a decision. Finally, the boy spoke.

“I’ll give it a shot,” he said.

“Good,” Garth nodded. “You have a few hours to wait, so you may as well take some time to learn about your Golbat’s new capabilities.”

“Yeah,” Derak said as he stood up. “C’mon, Echo.”

Echo put one of its wings to its head in an imitation of a salute before following.

****

Evening came, and the Contest Hall was once again bustling with excitement. This time, Derak sat in the audience and looked down at the stage. The lights were dimmer than they were during the Contest, but Derak could still make out a castle tower-like cardboard cutout on the stage.

“This is gonna be good!” a man next to him said, grinning with a hint of lecherousness.

Derak said nothing. He would have preferred to be seated with his Pokemon, but because there was only one ticket and—for reasons he could not fathom—Pokemon were not allowed their own seats, he was nestled beside people he found irritating. Finally, the lights darkened, and a voice echoed through the hall.

“And now, we present to you our Pokemon Musical production of…the Legend of Zelda!”

A spotlight illuminated a portion of the stage, accompanied by flute music. Soon, as the tune picked up, more spotlights appeared and revealed a group of Pokemon on the stage. In the tower was a rather feminine humanoid with green hair and arms, crimson eyes, and a flowing white dress. Two smaller versions of this Pokemon, one with a white tutu and one whose green hair resembled a helmet with pink horns, loitered about on the stage below. Derak was able to make out movement in the background as lyrics began to flow through the hall.

Link! He come to town,
Come to save the princess Zelda!
Ganon took her away,
Now the children don’t play.
But they will, when Link saves the day!
Hallelujah!

As the smaller Pokemon moped at the loss of their princess, a tall white humanoid Pokemon with green arms and a curving blade on its green helmet rushed onto the stage, fists clenched and sharp blades extending from its elbows. This Gallade, evidently playing the character of Link, looked first to his Gardevoir counterpart in the tower and then to the smaller Pokemon. Before Link could save the princess, however, a burst of fire erupted from a spot near the tower, heralding the arrival of a burly pig-like Pokemon with an orange-and-black body and a flaming beard. Once on stage, the newcomer—whom Derak suspected to be portraying the villainous Ganon—snarled at Link the Gallade, determined to thwart its efforts.

Now, Link, fill up your hearts,
So you can shoot your sword with power!
And when you’re feeling all down,
The fairy will come around,
So you’ll be brave, and not a sissy coward!

Link charged pink energy into its blades before swinging one arm, releasing a wave of energy towards its Emboar foe. Unfortunately, the fiery pig simply crossed its arms and blocked the Psycho Cut, though it winced in pain as it did so. Once the Gallade’s attack was finished, Ganon dipped its fist into its flaming beard, setting its fist alight as it charged towards Link and slammed the heroic character to the ground with a mighty Fire Punch. As Link weakly struggled to get up, another Pokemon—a small egg-shaped creature with small limbs and wings with red and blue markings on its body—floated down from above and sprinkled some sort of dust onto the fallen hero’s body. With the blessing of this Togetic, Link triumphantly rose to its feet and challenged Ganon again.

A short musical interlude followed, during which Link and Ganon traded blows. The Gallade dodged another Fire Punch and countered with a quick series of jabs, each punch keeping in time with the music. Eventually, as the song picked up once more, Link performed what seemed to be a Leaf Blade as it knocked Ganon down, finally defeating the villain.

Now, Link has saved the day!
Put Ganon in his grave,
So now Zelda is free,
And now our hero shall be…

Link’s eyes glowed blue as it looked up to Zelda the Gardevoir, a similar aura surrounding the princess as it was levitated down with a Psychic. The smaller Pokemon jumped for joy as they crowded around the hero, who gently caught Zelda in its arms. With that, the Pokemon looked to the audience with a smile.

Link! I think your name shall go down into history!

The lights in the Contest Hall went out briefly before coming back on. When they did, all of the Pokemon—including the Emboar that played Ganon—stood alongside one another in a line on the stage. The audience burst into applause as the Pokemon bowed, and once they finished, they all stepped to the side in order to allow a group of trainers through. Several people stood by the Gallade, the Gardevoir, and the smaller Pokemon who made up the heroic or neutral characters in the show, all bowing or curtseying. The Emboar, however, was accompanied by Ozcar’s mother, who bowed alongside her Pokemon.

Is that…? Derak thought as he saw Emboar’s trainer. Once he saw her face, his eyes widened. Yeah, that has to be her! She has to be my mom!

As the cast left the stage and the Contest Hall’s doors opened, Derak pushed his way out of his row with backstage pass in hand. Rather than leave with the rest of the crowd, however, he instead made his way past the stage and to a door marked “CAST ONLY”. While Derak had once been behind this door during his time in the Contest, the door was now guarded by a man in a dark suit with matching glasses, who looked down his nose at the approaching boy.

“Uh, hey,” Derak said as he held out his pass. “So, I have this thing…”

The guard’s expression softened somewhat as he took the pass.

“Your name’s Derak?” he asked.

“…yeah,” Derak said slowly. “How’d you—”

“You’re expected,” the guard interrupted as he put a finger into a small device in his ear. “The boy’s here.”

With that, he opened the door and gestured for Derak to enter. With a shrug, the boy went inside, and as the door shut behind him, Derak looked around the room he had sat in just hours earlier. The various Pokemon actors, along with their trainers, were currently cleaning each other up after the rather physical performance on the stage. One of the actors, a man who owned the Link the Gallade, had been spraying Emboar’s wounds with a bottle of liquid—Derak recognized it as a Potion—before turning and seeing the boy.

Emboar’s trainer suddenly burst out of the bathroom, paying no heed to the toilet paper still glued to her shoe. Her eyes bulged at the sight of Derak, who reciprocated the gesture in a more muted fashion.

“Uh…hi?” Derak said timidly, raising one hand. “So…I mean, this is kind of a personal question, but—”

Liana charged over to Derak and threw her arms around him while burying her face in his shoulder. Derak stood like a rod for a moment as he recovered from the shock, but eventually put one arm around her as she squeezed him.

“Yes,” Liana sobbed, refusing to break the hug. “I’m your mother, Derak. I’m so sorry I left you with Anoch, you must have suffered under him…”

She finally let go of her son and held him at arm’s length.

“Dear Arceus, you’re as pale as an Absol’s fur,” she gasped. “And what in the world are you wearing?”

“Yeah, this is what happens when a nine-year-old has to make his own casual wear, since his dad stopped buying him actual casual wear a couple years before,” Derak laughed embarrassedly.

“Well, I imagine we can talk much more about your unique fashion sense later,” Liana smiled. “Oh! Let me introduce you to everyone! This is Rob, he trains the Gallade you saw, and this is—”

“Okay, Mom?” Derak interjected, holding up his hands. “Look…can we just, maybe, take this one step at a time? I mean, I haven’t seen you in my whole life, and I’m a little overwhelmed, so…”

Liana laughed, and even the stodgiest of her fellow cast-mates were unable to hide a smile.

“Sure, I understand,” Liana said before turning to Rob. “Can we have some time?”

“Absolutely, darling!” Rob beamed. “Great show, everyone!”

The cast, sans Liana and her Emboar, left the room while discussing the high points of the show and praising the Pokemon involved. Liana herself sat down with Derak in two of the seats, while Emboar simply stood back near the exit.

“So,” Liana said as she ran a hand through her hair, “I, uh…imagine you’re bursting with questions, and that you’re much better at hiding it than I would be.”

“I’ve had practice,” Derak shrugged. “So, question one is…where have you been all this time?”

“I’ve been in many places,” Liana said with a fond sigh. “I went around Orre’s Colosseum circuit for a while, then I went to Unova…where I found all of the people you saw earlier.”

“So, how did all this Musical stuff start?” Derak asked.

“All of my traveling was just…an attempt to find myself, I guess,” Liana began. “I was hooked the moment I saw my first Musical in Nimbasa City. I could finally give my Pokemon, my wonderful partners, the full credit they deserved without getting them hurt. Right, Ganon?” she added over her shoulder.

“Emb,” the Emboar grunted, crossing its arms and keeping an eye on the door.

“Wait, that’s actually his name?” Derak blinked. “I thought that was just the character in the show.”

“A little of both,” Liana said as she got up and began to rummage through a scattered pile of what were presumably her possessions. “Hold on, let me…ugh, where did I leave that dusty old thing? Ah, here we go!”

She triumphantly held up a rather weathered-looking book titled “MYTHS AND LEGENDS—THE LEGENDARY LAND OF HYRULE”. Liana then sat back down next to Derak and began flipping through pages.

“I have a habit of naming my Pokemon after characters from all these old legends, some of which the show you saw was based on,” Liana explained as she stopped on a page showing a pig-like figure. “Here’s Ganon’s namesake, a dreaded mystic of great power. His followers were the most bizarre and fascinating creatures, a lot of whom have similarities to many of the Pokemon I’ve met. Oh, that reminds me!” she added as she clapped the book shut.

“What?”

“Let’s meet each other’s Pokemon!” Liana suggested excitedly. “I’d love to see what sorts of friends you made on your journey!”

“Well, okay,” Derak shrugged and picked three Pokeballs and one Safari Ball off of his belt. “Come on out, everyone!”

The moment Derak’s Pokemon party appeared in the room, Liana immediately went over to them and began fawning over them like a child in a room full of birthday presents. Strike maintained a steady glare, though Happiny and Echo reveled in the attention. Wildfire was simply confused, looking to its trainer but only getting a shrug.

“Wow, your Zubat evolved so soon after that Contest? That’s amazing!” Liana cried. “Oh, and your Chimchar is just the cutest thing! Its tail fire looks incredibly healthy, too! And how could I not notice the incredible little Happiny that you used in your appeal, it’s so CUUUTE! Um, by the way, what happened to your Scyther’s wings?”

“Jerk coordinators with Nidokings happened to them,” Derak said bitterly. Strike growled at the memory of Aiden.

“Aw, you poor thing!” Liana cooed as she held Strike’s blades by the blunt edge, much to the Scyther’s confusion. “There’s always somebody being awful in the world, isn’t there? They actually look pretty close to healing, though, so that’s good news. Do your Pokemon have nicknames, by any chance?”

“Well…Happiny doesn’t, since I got her through a trade, but the others do,” Derak explained. “Wildfire’s the Chimchar, Echo is the Golbat, and Strike is the Scyther.”

“All named after their unique characteristics,” Liana nodded. “I like it, it’s simple but effective. Oh, by the way…hang on one moment, I’m certain I have a spare…”

She rummaged through her things again before pulling out a small egg-shaped stone. Derak raised an eyebrow, but Liana simply handed the stone to Happiny, who accepted it with a smile.

“What’s that you just gave her?” Derak asked.

“An Oval Stone,” Liana answered. “In order to evolve, Happiny needs to have a strong bond with its trainer while it holds that stone.”

“Huh, really?” Derak looked down at Happiny, who was joyfully fitting the stone into the lower half of its body. “Thanks, then.”

“Don’t mention it,” Liana smiled. “Ah, I wish there was more room in here. Some of my team members have grown so big and strong that they can’t all fit in this little room, I’m afraid. Still, you can meet my first partner! Ganon, come say hello!”

“Em-booor,” the fiery pig sighed as it lumbered over, giving Derak a nod of greeting.

“Hey, big guy,” Derak said as he pulled out his Pokedex.

“Emboar,” Derak’s Pokedex pointed out, “the Mega Fire Pig Pokemon. Type is Fire and Fighting. Emboar is the final evolution of Tepig. It can throw a fire punch using its beard of fire. It has mastered many fast and powerful fighting moves, and cares deeply about its friends.”

“Seems like a pretty cool guy,” Derak remarked. Ganon responded by snorting a brief fire from its nostrils. “Okay, I take that back! You’re, uh, you’re whatever you want to be!”

“Don’t worry,” Liana laughed. “Ganon’s a little gruff and rough—a lot like his namesake, actually—but he’s just as much a loyal friend as your Pokedex says he is. Now that I think about it, how did you ever get Anoch to—”

“I didn’t,” Derak interrupted. “I just left.”

Liana’s boundless energy seemed to fade by this point. Her face became more solemn as she sat back down. Strike nodded towards Derak’s belt, and after seeing the others follow suit, Derak recalled all of his Pokemon. They clearly understood that this was a private matter.

“Which brings me to question two,” Derak said as he sat down as well. “This might sound like a dumb question, given who we’re talking about, but…why did you leave?”

“No, that’s not a dumb question, you have a right to know,” Liana shook her head. “You see, Anoch and I…what we had was little more than a brief fling. That’s…that was how you were conceived.”

“I figured as much,” Derak shrugged. “I never could see Anoch as someone who could keep a marriage.”

“Yes…that was why I left,” Liana said sadly. “Anoch was simply…unbearable to be around. He was arrogant and cold-hearted, and could only see how things would benefit him. There was really nothing there for me in Phenac, honestly.”

And then Derak’s heart shattered.

Tears started to well up in his eyes as he looked away, staring at the wall. He was silent for a moment, but before Liana could ask why, her son finally spoke.

“Nothing at all…?” he said slowly.

“Well, I—” Liana began before a realization punched her in the nose. “Oh, Derak, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way! I just—”

“You left me there…in the closest thing to hell in the world of the living…then you tell me that I don’t mean anything to you…and now you’re telling me that you made a mistake? That not caring enough was an ‘accident’?” Derak growled bitterly as he got up and made for the door. “I’ve met enough people to know that that’s not how it works.”

“Derak, wait!” Liana cried as she grabbed her son’s shoulder. “I would have brought you with me, really!”

“THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU?!” Derak roared as he whirled on her, tearing her arm off of him in the process. “Why did you leave me with someone whose only way of talking to people is through yelling?! Why did you leave me with someone who only cares about money and power?! Why in the HELL did you leave me with someone who thinks fatherhood is about controlling and manipulating?!”

“I…I couldn’t,” Liana said as she started to cry as well. “I couldn’t get you out of the house without Anoch knowing…and you were just a baby, you wouldn’t have survived on the road.”

Derak was about to turn away again, but Liana grabbed his shoulders.

“Look, I know that I’ve made terrible decisions, but I want to make things right!” Liana pleaded. “You’re wounded, and I know full well that I’m to blame! Just…please, give me a chance to be the mother I should have been!”

“All I wanted was my family back!” Derak cried through his tears. “I just…wanted to have a normal family. I wanted a dad who accepted me for who I was. I wanted a mom who was actually there, who cared that I existed. That was why I wanted to do a journey in the first place.”

“Derak—”

“Just shut up,” Derak spat. He let out a long sigh before continuing. “I should have known better than to hope for a freaking miracle. I should have figured this out earlier…if a mother is never in her son’s life, then…she’s either dead or better off without him. Sorry for wasting your time.”

With that, Derak turned and went out the door. Liana tried to follow, but Ganon put out a hand.

“Em-boar,” the Mega Fire Pig shook its head.

“Maybe…maybe you’re right, Ganon,” Liana sighed. “Maybe he needs some time before we can talk again. I just hope I can undo the damage I’ve done.”

*****

“Viiire!” Garth’s Electivire shouted as it brought a Thunder Punch down onto Torkoal’s shell, the latter withdrawing its body inside while somehow making its shell shine with a metallic glint. The impact from the Thunder Punch was barely more than a tap, however, and Torkoal soon came back out of its shell with a satisfied grin.

“Koal!” grunted the tortoise.

“Good,” Garth nodded. He and his Pokemon now stood outside the Pokemon Center, his entire party out of their Pokeballs and awaiting their individual turns. “While Electivire’s physical strength is much less than that of Zekrom, Torkoal’s Iron Defense should at least increase its chances of survival. All right, Sableye, it is your turn. Trade places with Torkoal.”

“Saaay,” the purple gremlin frowned, though it nonetheless obeyed.

“Now…Electivire, use Thunder Punch!” Garth ordered. Electivire, however, was eyeing something a short distance away. “What are you looking at?”

Garth turned and saw Derak running towards Saffron City’s exit. The boy was paying no mind to anything around him, only to whatever was in front of him. He darted around people until he was outside of the city limits, prompting Garth to raise an eyebrow.

“Where is he off to in such a hurry?” Garth muttered. Without another word, he recalled his team and followed after Derak.

*****

By this point, Derak had managed to reach a small forest path. It was here that he stopped to catch his breath, placing one hand against a tree as he panted for air. After a moment, he let out a roar of frustration and anguish as he slammed one fist into the tree. Tears were still pouring from his eyes, even as he picked his Pokeballs off of his belt and brought out his entire Pokemon party.

“Char…?” Wildfire’s eyes widened when it saw Derak crying. Its expression soon morphed to one of concern, matching Echo’s worried eyes quite well. Even Strike raised a proverbial eyebrow, having never seen its trainer behaving like this. Happiny attempted to walk over and hug its trainer’s leg, but Derak raised a hand.

“Please…just don’t,” Derak choked through his tears. “I know…not all of you really wanted to be with me…so it’s…it’s time to say good-bye.”

Most of his Pokemon, including the normally-quiet Wildfire, let out a cry of shock. Strike blinked and gained a more confused expression.

“You all heard me!” Derak yelled. He buried his eyes into his other hand for a moment, then stopped to wipe away his tears. “You know I found my mom. And what she told me was that…there wasn’t anything in Phenac worth staying for…including me. There’s no damn point in trying to put my stupid family back together! I mean, for crying out loud, my mom is happier this way, with a son who isn’t me and a new husband who’s obviously perfect!”

He collapsed onto his knees, driving his fist into the dirt underneath him. Derak spent a few moments in this position, sobbing all the while. Wildfire simply stared, mouth hanging open, unsure of what to do. It thought about going over to comfort him—the two were friends, after all—but when Happiny made to do the same, Echo put out a wing and shook its head. Wildfire looked up at Strike for an answer, but the Scyther merely shrugged in confusion.

Then a hand clamped onto Derak’s shoulder. The boy panicked, grabbing the hand and throwing it off of his shoulder as he spun around and came face-to-face with his assailant, only to find that it was Garth.

“What?!” Derak snapped, teeth bared and eyes red from tears. Garth was silent for a moment, his face solemn. When Derak’s panting finally began to slow, Garth finally spoke.

“I heard,” the cloaked man said. “You have my condolences, for what little they are worth. Few deserve to be told that they are worthless by their own mothers.”

Derak stopped bearing his teeth, but made no other indication that he heard Garth. His tears began to dry, particularly when he wiped his eyes once more, and his once-heavy breathing was almost normal again.

“As for what you are doing here,” Garth continued, glancing at Derak’s Pokemon, “are you really giving up so easily?”

“My journey was to find my mom,” Derak said, a tinge of bitterness still in his voice. “Thought I told you that back in Lavender Town.”

“You did,” Garth nodded. “You also told me that you were inspired to flee from your father by a visiting trainer…what was his name? You told me that he had a Serperior, if I recall correctly.”

“Uh…Trip?”

“That was it,” Garth said. “You told me that this Trip gave you advice. What do you think he would say if he saw you as broken and weak as you are now?”

Derak opened his mouth to reply, but the words would not come. He simply shook his head.

“Well, I doubt he would be pleased,” Garth continued. “Derak Kadir…do you remember what you told me whenever I criticized your going into a Gym battle with no plan, little to no training, and a mismatched team?”

“That…I was going to improvise?” Derak answered weakly.

“Yes,” Garth nodded. “And you did so, every single time. Do so again, right now. A journey does not need only one destination.”

Derak’s eyes trailed to the ground, prompting Garth to put a hand on the boy’s shoulder again.

“Make Trip proud to have taken the time to advise you,” the cloaked man said. “You told me that your sarcasm and general demeanor were a result of attempts to copy Trip. Do what you think he would do now, in your shoes.”

“I…I don’t know,” Derak mumbled. “I don’t know what I want anymore.”

“Hmm…I see,” Garth said. “Sit with me for a moment.”

The two sat down on the side of the path, Derak’s Pokemon joining them. Garth sighed before speaking again.

“So…I believe it is time for me to share my story with you,” Garth said.

“Wait, what?” Derak said. “Why now?”

“Because now is when you are most open to a tale of suffering,” Garth said sadly. “Now, then…you know that my story begins centuries ago, in the Ransei region. But the details are different from what you will find in any history book…”

*****

The details of Garth’s story were plentiful. The setting was a small village outside the Fire-type kingdom of Ignis, which was ruled by a Warlord named Hideyoshi Toyotomi. The village itself was nestled in an alcove on the side of a volcano, providing living space for quite a few people in spite of the somewhat dangerous environment. It was in the plaza of this village that a young boy with reddish-brown hair and gold-lined crimson robes darted about, chasing after a small brown-and-tan puppy Pokemon.

“Come on, Lillipup!” the boy laughed happily. “Wait up!”

Lillipup stopped and turned around, slipping between the boy’s legs and nearly causing him to fall over. The dog stopped for a moment as its apparent owner recovered his balance, and soon the chase was on once again. The beat of drums, however, interrupted the boy’s merriment.

“Hey, what’s going on?” the boy asked. He picked up his Lillipup, the latter’s wide eyes looking to him in confusion, as he ran over to a man who wore what appeared to be Garth’s current crimson cloak. “Father, what’s happening?”

The boy’s father looked down at him and smiled.

“Ah, Garth, just in time,” the man smiled. “Come with me. I will be showing the village something marvelous.”

Garth’s father guided his son, along with a gathering crowd of villagers, deeper into their cave. Eventually, it reached the point where torchlight was necessary, though several warriors and their Fire-type Pokemon were only too happy to oblige. Eventually, the village came across a strange sight; a giant fountain with glittering water, somehow functioning perfectly in spite of its environment.

“What is it, Father?” the young Garth asked.

“This, my son,” his father smiled, “is a source of great power.”

He turned to the crowd of other villagers.

“To the sick and injured among you…I ask you to step forward,” Garth’s father said. “A drink of this water will heal you.”

“Are you serious?” one of the villagers asked.

“As the high priest of the Shrine of Truth, you have my word,” Garth’s father smiled. “If it makes you more certain, I myself have tested these waters when I found them yesterday. I can assure you that no harm will come to any of you.”

“Heh.”

That small chuckle sent a ripple of fear through the villagers. Garth clung to his father’s cloak, Lillipup shivering in his arms. The murmuring crowd parted, revealing a man in purple-and-black armor with a spiky black ponytail. The armored man was flanked by more armored men, each accompanied by a dragon Pokemon.

“Nobunaga Oda,” Garth’s father said grimly as the Warlord of Dragnor stood smirking before him. “What brings you to our humble village, my Lord?”

“There is much that brings me here,” Nobunaga replied. “At first, I came only because your humble village was the sole part of Ransei that had information of interest to me…information on Reshiram, the white dragon of truth. It is, after all, dedicated to worship of that particular dragon.”

“Is that so?” Garth’s father said. “But your use of ‘at first’ means that there is more.”

“Indeed there is,” Nobunaga grinned. “I want that water.”

“Then you shall not have it!” Garth’s father declared, standing firmly in front of the fountain. “This village stands for what is true and just! I will not let this healing water be used for your vile conquest!”

“So be it,” Nobunaga sighed. “Garchomp!”

Nobunaga’s original partner—a strange dark blue cross between a dinosaur, a praying mantis, and a hammerhead shark—leapt into the sky from behind Nobunaga’s forces. The beast landed in front of its Warlord, growling as it swiped its bladed arms at Garth’s father.

“Get to safety,” the priest whispered to his son, prompting Garth and Lillipup to take cover behind the fountain. “You will be stopped here and now, Warlord of Dragnor! In honor of Reshiram, the great white dragon whose flame burns away deceit, we shall put an end to your mad quest! Flareon, to me!”

A red-bodied fox-like Pokemon darted out of a building, its fluffy yellow collar and tail billowing as it charged to its partner’s side. Nobunaga only smirked as his subordinate warriors sent forth their dragon Pokemon, his Garchomp in the lead. Though drastically outnumbered due to the peaceful nature of the village, Garth’s father defiantly stood his ground.

“Go, Flareon! Use Fire Fang!”

The fox leapt at Nobunaga’s Garchomp, mouth open and canine teeth catching fire, but the strange dragon was ready. The shark-like beast simply charged pale green energy into its claw before slashing at Flareon, effortlessly knocking the Fire-type aside and cutting a gash into its stomach.

“Flareon, no!” Garth’s father cried, reaching out to his fallen partner.

“It’s over,” Nobunaga grinned. “Garchomp, Rock Slide!”

Garchomp reared its head back and roared at the ceiling. Cracks suddenly began to form, and portions of the ceiling plummeted down towards the villagers. The people scattered, with only some being fortunate enough to escape being crushed. Garth stood up and tried to run deeper into the cave, Lillipup still in his arms, only to stop and fall when a rock crashed down in front of him. Lillipup tumbled out of his arms and onto its side, but before it could reunite with its friend, another rock slammed onto its outstretched legs.

“NO!” Garth cried. He tried to rush towards his friend, but once again, a falling boulder blocked his path. All he could do was crawl back to the fountain and huddle into a ball, trying to make his body as small as possible.

After what felt like ages of assault, the Rock Slide finally ceased. With all resistance neutralized, Nobunaga’s soldiers began to collect bucketfuls of the healing water. Garth managed to catch sight of them, and was suddenly filled with rage.

“Give that back!” he yelled as he ran at a soldier, only for the soldier to quickly backhand the boy and knock him down.

“Stupid kid,” the soldier growled as he advanced on Garth, fist clenched.

“Heh…good luck with that,” Nobunaga chuckled. “Men, we are finished here. Let us move on to other kingdoms.”

With that, Nobunaga and his army left. Garth stared after them with a snarl, but whimpers of agony soon caught his attention. His Lillipup was still trapped under a boulder.

“Lillipup, hang on!” Garth cried, running over to his friend. He put his hands on the boulder and heaved with all his might, but despite it being one of the smaller boulders, he could not make it move. “Ugh…Lillipup, I’m sorry…I—wait!”

He looked over to the fountain, pulling a canteen out of his pocket as he ran to it.

“If it heals sick and hurt people, it has to do something good for healthy ones!” Garth reasoned as he quickly filled his canteen with the water and took a great swig. His body already felt more alive, and soon he rushed back to the boulder that trapped his Lillipup. With a great heave, his newfound strength allowed him to roll the boulder off of his friend.

Lillipup, however, was worse for wear. All four of its legs were broken beyond repair, and the small Pokemon was barely alive. With his solution in hand, Garth knelt down and lifted Lillipup’s head.

“Here, drink this,” he said. “It’ll help you heal, I promise.”

Lillipup gulped the water down, and Garth gently took his Pokemon into his arms. The small dog gritted its teeth in pain, but its legs began to twitch and move again. Soon, its healing was complete.

And then Lillipup screamed.

Its body began to whither, flesh wasting away and fur turning a deathly white. Garth’s eyes went wide as his Pokemon aged at the speed of light, leaving only a crumpled mess in his arms. And then, just as quickly as it aged, Lillipup’s body began turning to dust.

“Lillipup!” Garth cried, but the dust soon blew out of his hands. Lillipup was gone.

He sat there for a moment, staring into space. And then he broke down and cried.

*****

“I spent years in what was left of my village, caring for what was left of my people,” Garth said in the present day. “My father had only survived Garchomp’s Rock Slide because he had drank the fountain’s water beforehand. But his body was so broken…he, too, eventually turned to dust. He was the last one to die…and that was when I realized how Nobunaga had taken everything from me. So I dedicated myself to traveling until I found him, knowing that the water would all but make him immortal. And then…I met you.”

Up until this point, Derak had been quietly listening to Garth’s tale, leaning back on a tree. When the cloaked man finished, Derak sighed.

“It took me a long time to harness my sorrow into motivation,” Garth said. “How are your attempts faring?”

“Well…if you could find a way to move on after losing so much…then I think I can do the same,” Derak said as he finally stood up. He looked over to his Pokemon. “Sorry for worrying you guys.”

“Char,” Wildfire sighed in relief. A small smile came to the Chimchar’s face. Echo began to cry as well, but with a wide smile of its own. Even Strike managed a smirk. Happiny came up and hugged Derak’s leg tightly.

“Good,” Garth nodded. “Now, we should go back to the Pokemon Center. It has been a long day for both of us, and you will need to be rested for your Gym battle tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Derak nodded. He looked over to his Pokemon. “Forget what I said before, guys. We’re going to keep moving forward.”

Echo and Happiny cheered, the former spreading its wings wide in a celebratory gesture. Wildfire allowed a smile to spread across its face, something that Derak noticed. He knelt down and held out his hand, and after looking at the offered appendage for a moment, Wildfire put its hand in his.

“Wildfire…you, me, and the others here?” Derak said. “I’m pretty sure every one of us can do some really great stuff. It’s time we prove it to the world.”

“Char!” Wildfire nodded, fists clenched. His other Pokemon, even Strike, all nodded as well.

Derak smiled and stood up, looking back to Saffron.

“Let’s go,” he said. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

*****

Used in this chapter is the song "Legend of Zelda" by System of a Down. Because why not.

Last edited by Morpher01; 25th January 2015 at 3:50 AM.
Reason: Giving credit where it's due.

So, Echo evolves and shows a more prominent prankster nature. Derak meets his mother, and we learn of Garth's back story. Two questions, though: if the water pretty much causes hyper accelerated aging, why would Nobunaga want it? And how the heck has either of them lived for so long? They may be odd questions, but I haven't played Pokemon Conquest.

Used in this chapter is the song "Legend of Zelda" by System of a Down. Because why not.

Reading those lines made me smile. That song is stupid funny. :P

Good to see you back. I gotta fix up my laptop screen and get back to business myself.

Air Dragon: Hey! Nice to have you back. To answer your question, the water was never in Conquest, I just made it for the purposes of this story. The water only causes hyper-accelerated aging in Pokemon; in humans, it gives borderline immortality. Hope that clears things up.

Might be a little while before the next chapter, sadly. School and other things are taking up most of my time, as usual, but the chapter should eventually be finished. Hope you're all still here by then.

After a long period of losing interest in Pokemon fan-fiction, personal problems, and working through college classes, I have returned to Serebii to breathe life back into this old carcass of a story. My reason? Simply put, I felt like it. I wanted to finish this thing, and writing it has been making me feel good, so I figured "why not". My writing will probably have changed somewhat, maybe even have gotten rusty. It might take me a while to get back into the swing of things, but I imagine I'll get my old momentum back soon enough.

And please forgive me for taking so long to get to this. I'm sorry it was so long.

Chapter 25: Saffron City Pokemon Contest

Night had fallen on Saffron City as Derak and Wildfire sat in the Pokemon Center. The Chimchar sat in Derak’s lap, looking down at itself as if still expecting a spontaneous evolution. Nurse Joy soon appeared from behind the counter, prompting Derak to take Wildfire into his arms and approach her.

“Here you go, sir,” Nurse Joy said cheerfully as she handed Derak a small grey rock. “That Everstone will keep your Chimchar from evolving as long as it holds it.”

That'll be useful to have. That scare was probably something neither of them wants to go through again.

“Thanks,” Derak said, handing Wildfire the Everstone. The monkey gently held it between its hands, wondering how such a small rock could prevent it from evolving. “Don’t lose it, okay? Seeing you go through that once was enough of a scare.”

I see they agree.

“Char,” Wildfire nodded, clutching the stone in one hand.

“Nice to know you’re finally loosening up a little,” Derak smiled, rubbing his Chimchar’s head. “Okay…Garth’s already in bed, so we might as well get going, too.”

It's been a long time, but their growing bond still makes me smile.

“I’m sorry it took so long to get you that Everstone,” Nurse Joy said with an apologetic bow, “but, you see, so few trainers actually want them and—”

Aren't they valued for breeding purposes, though?

“Just forget about it,” Derak sighed.

“Oh…okay,” Nurse Joy said slowly. “Well, your room’s down the hall. Have a good night!”

Derak only gave her a brief nod as the nurse went to her own room. He returned Wildfire to its Pokeball and clipped it back onto his belt with a sigh.

Before we go back into that Gym, we need to figure out how to deal with Sabrina’s Alakazam. Derak thought. That thing was beating the living tar out of Wildfire with no effort at all. But what can we do? I don’t see how training helps, especially since ‘obedience’ isn’t my strong point and shouldn’t be my Pokemon’s either.

Then Melissa’s taunting words from earlier that day, the words he heard as he left the Saffron Gym, rang through his mind: “How about you stop treating your Pokemon like your babies and start actually TRAINING them? Then you might actually win something for once!”

“And I’m DEFINITELY not doing anything SHE recommends,” Derak growled as if in reply. “Ugh…what to do?”

I'm glad to hear that he isn't succumbing to that. His adherence to his moral center helps him.

He leaned back in his chair, allowing his eyes to drift across the Pokemon Center. They eventually rested on a poster placed on the side wall, with the words “POKEMON CONTEST” printed on it.

Pokemon Contest tomorrow, huh? Standard rules apply, held in the Saffron Contest Dome, no prior registration necessary, Derak read. Hmm…maybe I will train my guys. But it won’t be in the way Armare thinks.

Oh I wonder how she'll react if she hears he did this.

“You have GOT to be joking,” Garth growled the next morning. “You are entering a Pokemon Contest?”

“Why not?” Derak shrugged. “Need some training somehow, and there’s no way I’m doing drills with my team or something jerkish like that.”

“Still, a Contest?” Garth repeated. “I fail to see how dancing and showing off makes anyone stronger, least of all you.”

And Garth is the same as ever. That's not surprising.

“We shall all pursue our goals through our own means,” a familiar voice interjected, and soon an equally-familiar harp-carrying bard approached the two. “Derak, I hear you are entering a Pokemon Contest?”

“I’d have to wonder how you haven’t, considering that Garth was just blasting it across the whole lobby,” Derak shrugged. “But, yeah, I’m entering. Why?”

Good to see Nando back, and Derak's sarcastic manner too. I smiled at that comment of his.

“I wanted to wish you the best of luck if it were the case,” Nando smiled. “After our battle in the P1 Grand Prix, I would be honored to face you on the Contest stage as well.”

“You really should not sell yourself so short,” Nando said. “If you are nervous, then Teresa and I can help you prepare.”

“Wait, what? Really?” Derak blinked.

“But of course,” Nando smiled. “It was my pleasure to help you prepare for the Celadon Gym, and it will also be my pleasure to aid you in your Contest preparations.”

That's generous of him. Of course, that's exactly how he is.

“Well…okay, then,” Derak shrugged as he got up.

“Oh, this should be good,” Garth snorted as Nando and Derak left. On the way out, however, they found Timmy Grimm at the door.

Oh, that was unexpected. Timmy's arrival, I mean, not Garth being sour as usual.

“Oh, hey, Derak,” Timmy said. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” Derak shrugged. “Decided to try out this Contest thing.”

“Really? Cool!” Timmy smiled. “Good luck!”

Derak simply shrugged and left, Nando following with a polite nod to Timmy. The former Phantom Coordinator, however, stopped to put a hand to his chin. He soon released his Dusknoir, which floated beside him.

“Dussk?” the Ghost-type grunted inquisitively.

“Hey, you know how I always use you in the battle round?” Timmy asked. “Derak’s entering this Contest, and putting you in a battle with him would just be overkill. So we’ll need to come up with something else, okay?”

That's kind of Timmy. Although, I do wonder, pulling punches might make it hard for Derak to learn a lot.

“Hello, all you Contest fans!” cried Lillian, her curly orange hair bouncing in time with her enthusiastic movements. “Welcome to the Saffron City Pokemon Contest, where you’ll witness appeals so beautiful that you’ll be left in awe! So, without further ado, let’s get this party started!”

As Lillian introduced the judges, Derak sat backstage with his Chimchar in a chair, fiddling with his Pokedex. Other coordinators talked amongst each other, paced about, or quickly recited the directions for their respective appeals. Wildfire glanced about at them, nervously hoping that it would not be the first to perform.

Thank you for skipping the whole introduction to focus on Derak. Seeing it would have just wasted time.

“Uh…excuse me, Derak,” murmured Teresa. “Is…is it all right if I…sit here?”

“Do whatever you want,” Derak shrugged, not taking his eyes off of the Pokedex.

“Th-thank you,” Teresa stuttered, carefully sitting next to him. “So…how are you doing?”

Ah yes, these two still have a great interaction.

“Well, you and Nando made me feel a little better, so thanks,” Derak said, stuffing his Pokedex back into his pocket. “Just hope I don’t run into—”

“Well, look who it is!” laughed Aiden Takeshi as he strutted his way past. “Guess I know who we WON’T be seeing in the winner’s circle!”

“Because he thinks he’s too special to treat anyone else—human or Pokemon—with any decency,” Derak spat hatefully. “People like him make me sick.”

Teresa, however, kept quiet. This business was too sensitive for her to say any more.

“Up first is a Contest favorite!” cried Lillian over the plasma television mounted backstage. “Heeere’s Nando!”

I don't think Nando's timing has ever been so good. This situation was getting pretty uncomfortable.

Calm as ever, Nando stepped out onto the stage, giving the audience a brief bow before presenting his Pokeball.

“Now…Leavanny, let us begin our performance!” Nando cried as he threw his Pokeball of choice.

From Nando’s Pokeball emerged a yellow-bodied insect that stood on two needle-like legs. It appeared to be wearing an outfit made entirely of leaves, complete with a leafy coattail and two leafy arms.

Excellent choice for him.

“Leavanny,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Nurturing Pokemon. Type is Bug and Grass. Evolved form of Swadloon. It weaves clothing from leaves for small Pokemon by using a sticky secretion from its mouth. It keeps its eggs warm by using heat from fermenting leaves.”

“Now, Leavanny, begin with Razor Leaf, please,” Nando said as he calmly strummed his harp.

The Nurturing Pokemon complied with a mighty wave of its arms, scattering a flurry of leaves into the air.

“Follow up with Sticky Web, if you please.”

Leavanny spat a plethora of silk strings from its mouth, each of which attached to one of the airborne leaves. The leaf-garbed insect then pulled on the strings, bringing the leaves down to its level. Once all of the leaves were within reach, Leavanny began to quickly but carefully weave something using the silk and leaves.

He soon found out, however, once Leavanny finished. The completed product was a replica of Nando’s harp, complete with silk strings and a small, leafy version of the cat-like Pokemon that was carved into it.

“Now, let us finish with Grass Whistle, please,” Nando smiled before beginning to play a song on his harp.

Leavanny followed its trainer’s lead, accompanying Nando’s number with a similar but complimentary piece. The melody was almost unbelievably calming, to the point of making Derak forget his troubles for a moment. He just wanted to relax for a while, just to bask in the melody…

Very creative! You have a very good grasp on how to do appeals, and this one suits him perfectly as well.

Can't blame Derak for enjoying it, either.

Eventually, however, the song came to an end.

“That was a beautiful appeal for both the eyes and the ears!” Lillian cried.

“I agree,” Mr. Contesta nodded, wearing the same crimson suit that he always did. “Nando’s appeals may all have a similar theme, but he always finds a way to keep them unique. I approve!”

“Yes!” agreed Mr. Sukizo. “It was remarkable!”

“Leavanny’s skill with the string and leaves was wonderful to watch,” Nurse Joy added.

“Hmm? Oh, don’t worry about it,” Derak replied. He stared at the screen as Nando bowed and took his leave. How am I supposed to compete with that guy? Every time I see him, he blows everyone else out of the water!

Is that last line a thought of Derak's or dialogue? Either way it needs quotes, though if it is a thought, it would also need italics.

“Next up,” Lillian declared, “is Elliot Trey of Gateon Port!”

Derak nearly fell out of his seat at the mention of his most hated rival, and even Wildfire was startled out of its trance. Sure enough, Elliot’s smirking face could be seen on stage, smugly waving to the audience.

Elliot’s entering?! Derak thought. He wasn’t here backstage, so where was he while all the other appeals were going on?

Being mysterious, of course. :P

“Piplup, come out!” Elliot cried as he threw a familiar blue Pokeball into the air.

Elliot’s starter Pokemon appeared on stage, its wings planted on its hips in its haughtiest possible pose. Derak narrowed his eyes, waiting for their first move.

“Now, Piplup, begin with Stealth Rock!” Elliot cried.

Piplup formed several diamonds next to its body before expelling them to the four corners of the stage. A colossal stone rose from each corner, towering over the small penguin.

I didn't even know Piplup could learn Stealth Rock until now. Interesting choice.

“Shall we proceed?” Elliot grinned. “Use Bubble Beam!”

Piplup fired its signature stream of spheres at one of the rocks. Rather than destroy the stone, however, the Bubble Beam deflected off and traveled over to the next stone. This pattern repeated until the Bubble Beam reached the last stone, the beam ricocheting towards Piplup itself.

“Now!” Elliot cried. “Use Fury Attack!”

With its beak alone, Piplup knocked every sphere from the Bubble Beam into the air above it, only stopping when the spheres were balanced on top of one another in a column mounted on Piplup’s beak.

“For the grand finale…Drill Peck!”

Piplup’s body began to spin rapidly, and the Water-type shot through each of the bubbles like a rocket. The destruction of each bubble heralded a glistening shower that coated Piplup’s body even as the Penguin Pokemon landed back on the stage.

Very well thought out. Excellent work on that appeal.

“He did perform quite well,” Nando remarked as he came back into the backstage room. “I imagine that he will be a ferocious contender in the battle round, as well.”

Derak said nothing, but frowned. This was going to be harder than he thought.

****

I get the feeling that both of those are vast understatements.

Last edited by The Great Butler; 5th July 2015 at 12:52 AM.

(Banner by Matori)Beyond all ideals, the truth shall set you free...
Most Recent: 20: The Weight of the World (Part 2)
Next: Father

“So, let me get this straight,” Skull grunted as he and N traversed another forest path. “We’re going to keep wandering around like this until we miraculously find more cases like Lickitung?”

“That is more or less the case,” N replied. Skull opened his mouth to continue, but N cut him off. “I understand your concerns, and I agree that this sort of plan is not likely to succeed. But, it is our best option. We cannot simply force Pokemon to help us.”

Ah yes, I missed these two as well. They make a good team thanks to their contrasting characters.

“Putting all our hopes in perfect convenience isn’t exactly the best option, either,” Skull countered. “I still say that we can take on Nobunaga the way we—”

He suddenly stopped.

“What is it?” N asked, stopping as well.

Skull didn’t answer, but instead spun around while swinging his bone towards the air behind him. A series of rocks burst from the ground surrounding the two, soaring into the air and striking down a large grey-and-black bird Pokemon.

That came out of nowhere... wonder what it is.

“Why did you--?!” N began, but the sight of a familiar red Pokemon cut him off.

The Heatmor that N and Skull had fought earlier had returned, trudging up beside the fallen bird Pokemon. By Heatmor’s side was what appeared to be a pink bear with a spiky two-eyed hermit crab shell clamped onto its tail.

“Slooowwww,” droned the bear as it pointed its clawed arms towards the bird, releasing a small wave of pink energy that washed over the bird’s body. Once the energy faded, the bird rose to its feet, displaying the blade-like comb of hair above its boomerang-shaped forehead.

Oh, I just realized, I had a little bit of a hard time following what was going on. I didn't realize that it was Skull using the Stone Edge attack.

“Looks like our old pal brought a party,” Skull remarked as he eyed the Slowbro and Staraptor. “And one of them needs some serious fashion advice.”

The funny part is that he could be referring to either Slowbro or Staraptor here.

“Hea, heat-mor!” the fiery anteater declared, pointing one clawed hand at the duo of N and Skull.

Something rustled in the bushes, and before anyone could react, a canine with long black fur rushed into the fray with mouth wide open. The Mightyena clamped its fangs onto Skull’s bone-wielding arm, prompting a cry of pain from the Marowak as he was dragged across the path.

Well then, I didn't expect that. And it actually took Skull at least temporarily out of the running?

“Skull!” N cried, but his companion was already being pulled through more bushes and out of sight. He turned to the remaining Pokemon. “Why are you doing this? You are organized and capable of planning…what would you have to gain by attacking us?”

“They gain what every creature gains,” a hoarse voice replied.

Heatmor and Slowbro stepped aside as Staraptor took to the air, and the Pokemon’s evident master—the leather-wearing man from the cave—casually strode between them. He licked saliva off of his lips and smiled, showing some rather large teeth.

“It’s been a long time, ‘Lord’ N,” the man grinned.

“You…who are you?” N asked. “I have only told my name to a few select people outside of—”

“Team Plasma?” the man interrupted, pulling a knife out of the leather straps and examining it. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t know me. Name’s Damon. I was just a rank-and-file grunt under your rule in Unova, up until those stupid kids all ruined Ghetsis’ plan—as admittedly stupid as it was.”

Now this is something I never would have seen coming. He's an intriguing character - there's a certain inhuman quality to him, and his tone definitely sets the image of him as very dangerous and threatening.

“You served Ghetsis?” N gasped. “Why are you here in Kanto?”

“Times have changed,” Damon sighed. “Ghetsis is gone, and what’s left of Team Plasma is all about hugging the trees and whatever happens to live in them. They’re all following your example, as if that’ll get you to lord over them again.”

“And what about you?” N asked, slowly balling his hand into a fist.

“Me?” Damon smirked. “I’m leading a simpler life; kill or be killed…eat or be eaten.”

“Eat?” N blinked. “What do you mean by…?”

His eyes went wide as the truth dawned on him.

“That’s right,” Damon grinned, aiming the knife at his former lord. “Now, hold still, or the meat will get tough.”

Whoa, what? That just took a grim turn. I think N will survive but...

“Now, Meowth, use Fury Swipes!”

Back in Saffron City’s Contest Hall, Aiden Takeshi had taken the stage alongside a small beige cat with a gold coin on its forehead. The cat, evidently called Meowth, leapt into the air and brandished a set of sharp claws once it saw a small group of rubber balls that Aiden had rather haphazardly tossed into the air. Despite their steadily-growing distance, Meowth was able to slice every single ball in the bunch to ribbons.

“Okay, let’s wrap this up with Pay Day!” Aiden cried.

Meowth somersaulted in mid-air, landing on Aiden’s head with its back to the audience. It then whipped itself around, scattering a series of shining golden coins across the edge of the stage.

“They’re all yours, folks!” Aiden declared as both he and his cat Pokemon swept their arms wide. “Enjoy, and thank you all for your time!”

Interesting choice of Pokemon for him, and a clever appeal. Pay Day is such an unusual move that adapting it isn't easy, so you need to think creatively with it.

In the audience, Aiden’s blue-haired accomplice leaned back with a satisfied smirk. The crowd members closest to the stage each picked up the coin nearest to them, leaving all of the shining medallions gone in a matter of seconds.

“Well done!” Mr. Contesta announced. “Not only did it keep things nice and simple, it also rewarded the audience for paying attention to Meowth’s speed and skill.”

“It was quite remarkable!” agreed Mr. Sukizo.

“I love how Meowth balanced on its trainer’s head at the end,” Nurse Joy smiled.

Aiden bowed dramatically as he left. Backstage, Derak’s frown had grown substantially and his head was now resting in his hands. He was set to perform last, an unenviable position given the strength of the appeals before him.

“And your winner has returned!” Aiden exclaimed as he burst through the doors. “Might as well just pack it in, folks—unless, of course, you’re sticking around to see me in the battle round!”

Timmy left, but not before looking back towards Derak. Seeing his old friend still staring blankly at the screen made Timmy frown with concern, but he reminded himself of his plan and went on to the stage.

I'm really liking how friendly to Derak Timmy is. You can trace it back to his canon past.

“Now…go, Dusknoir!” Timmy cried.

The former Phantom Coordinator’s ace Pokemon materialized over its trainer’s head, levitating ominously with arms crossed.

“Right!” Timmy declared, planting his feet firmly on the floor. “Let’s kick this off with Will-o-Wisp!”

Dusknoir unfolded its arms and threw them outward, forming a vertical ring of blue fireballs in front of it. The Will-o-Wisp circled its creator for a moment, but then the jagged yellow line on Dusknoir’s stomach split open. Something inside the makeshift mouth sucked the fireballs inside, and soon the mouth clamped shut after all of the Will-o-Wisp was consumed. Having a supernatural fire inside it, however, caused Dusknoir’s body to glow and ominous blue as it levitated further up the stage.

I know I keep saying this, but you really have a fantastic feel on how to create appeals like this.

“Yes, it is quite marvelous,” Nando agreed, “but it also gives me pause for thought.”

“How so?” Derak asked.

“I have had the pleasure of seeing, and sometimes witnessing, Mr. Grimm’s performances in other Contests,” Nando said. “In those, he almost always saves his mighty Dusknoir for the battle round. Seeing him use it for the appeals is, I must confess, rather unusual.”

“Hmm,” Derak muttered, staring intently at the screen. “He must be up to something.”

I wonder if Derak is figuring out what Timmy's up to just yet.

“Now, Dusknoir, finish this up!”

Dusknoir complied by opening its stomach-mouth again, this time spraying a jet of blue fire into the air. The jet fanned out into a wave before dissipating, allowing Dusknoir to drift back down to its trainer’s side.

Another nice appeal.

“Very impressive!” Mr. Contesta smiled. “I greatly enjoyed how you focused more on Dusknoir’s natural talents than on its moves!”

“Yes, remarkable!” Mr. Sukizo agreed.

Okay, seriously, does that guy not know any other words? Derak thought.

Your words, my thoughts, Derak.

“Dusknoir has a lot of raw power inside it,” Nurse Joy added, “and that appeal really shows its strength!”

“I think…I’m up next,” Teresa gulped.

“Good luck, my friend,” Nando smiled. “You will be fantastic on this stage.”

Teresa nodded, though her hurried walk out the door and clutching of her jacket betrayed whatever confidence she tried to exert. Once on stage, she took a deep breath and held up a single Pokeball.

Excellent description on Teresa's emotions here.

“Vulpix…let’s show w-what we can do,” Teresa said as she opened the ball.

A small red fox appeared on the stage, sporting a set of six tails and a tuft of crimson fur on its head. The moment its brown paws touched the floor, the fox smiled and let out a joyful cry.

“Vulpix,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Fox Pokemon. Type is Fire. Inside Vulpix’s body is a flame that never goes out. During the daytime, when temperatures rise, Vulpix releases fire from its mouth to prevent its body from growing too hot.”

I still think you would benefit from having more words than just "reported" for the Pokedex.

“Vulpix, um…” Teresa gulped. She took another breath. Remember what Mr. Nando taught you, she thought.

Closing her eyes, Teresa then lifted one hand to the sky.

“Vulpix, use Flame Burst!” she cried.

The small Fire-type balanced itself on its tails and spat a single fireball straight up. Just as the ball began to fall back down, Teresa gave out another order with a surprisingly firm voice.

“Extrasensory!”

Vulpix’s eyes flashed briefly, just before a continuous cyclone of rainbow energy erupted from the Fox Pokemon’s eyes. The Extrasensory met the airborne fireball and held it aloft, with Vulpix occasionally tilting its head from side to side and carrying the combined attack with it. Despite its movements, however, the Flame Burst stayed within the grasp of the Extrasensory.

“Now…finish this…with Energy Ball!” Teresa cried.

Vulpix stopped emitting light from its eyes long enough to open its mouth and fire out a ball of green light. The Energy Ball tore through Vulpix’s other attacks, scattering embers and sparks across the stage as Vulpix itself spread its forelimbs out in its cutest possible pose.

Good finishing move. That appeal was good but needed a little something more, and that finish provided it.

“Now, that was beautiful!” Lillian announced. “Let’s turn to our panel of judges!”

Teresa paled at the thought of criticism, but when she timidly looked over to the trio of judges, she was greeted with a warm smile and encouraging nod from Mr. Contestsa.

That's a nice touch, showing her nervous about the judges' comments.

You misspelled Mr. Contesta's name at the end of this quote.

“Good show!” Mr. Contesta said. “I remember from Pewter City’s Contest that you had some trouble with nerves, but I’m pleased to see that you’ve been able to work through them.”

“I, uh…I had some help,” Teresa said slowly, rubbing the back of her head.

“Your performance today was remarkable!” Mr. Sukizo cried.

“Vulpix’s pose at the end was just adorable!” Nurse Joy fawned.

Backstage, Nando was smiling widely.

“Teresa has come such a long way since we met her at Pewter City, has she not?” he asked.

It's really nice to see that Teresa has such a source of support. Someone like that needs it.

“Yeah…sure,” Derak murmured. The end of Teresa’s appeal, however, meant only one thing for him.

He was next.

Derak stood up and left the moment Teresa came back in, barely hearing the wishes of good luck from the other contestants. He knew what he had to do, and he knew what Pokemon he was going to use, and the two of them had—with Nando’s guidance—gone over their appeal several times. This had to work.

“Break a leg, as they say.”

As Derak got into the hallway leading to the stage, the smug voice of Elliot Trey greeted him. The boy with split personalities was casually leaning on the wall, smirking as he watched Derak approach.

“Aren’t most contestants hanging out in one room?” Derak asked.

“Most of them, yes,” Elliot nodded. “But, in all honesty, I prefer to be closer to the stage. It makes observing my competition much easier.”

Well, that does make sense...

Derak simply grunted and brushed past his rival. Elliot only chuckled and turned around to watch.

“And now, our final competitor!” Lillian’s voice cut through all other noises as Derak approached the stage. “From Phenac City in Orre, making his Contest debut…introducing, Derak!”

The boy carefully walked onto the stage, gripping the chosen Pokeball unusually tightly. He looked out at the audience, finding dozens—if not hundreds—of eyes peering down at him. Derak’s teeth clenched together as he held up his Pokeball.

“Well…here goes everything,” Derak sighed. “Happiny, let’s go!”

Once the ball was airborne, the pink egg-shaped Pokemon that Sarah had traded him appeared on stage. The moment its feet touched the floor, Happiny did a quick pirouette, a pleasant scent emitting from the curl of hair on its head.

“Okay, just like we practiced. Ready?” Derak asked, and Happiny nodded. “Okay, use Sweet Kiss!”

Happiny blew a kiss to the audience, somehow emitting a small group of pink hearts from its mouth in the process. The hearts then floated up into the air and curved above their creator.

A good start. I have to admit, it's been such a long time that I forgot he even had Happiny, but it's doing well so far.

“And…next is Helping Hand!” Derak cried.

The tiny arms on Happiny’s sides pointed outward, and electricity began to crackle around them. Soon, the small Normal-type released a weak arc of lightning from each of its arms, directing each bolt into the air and blasting them through each of the hearts. Once all the hearts were destroyed, the lightning dove down and struck Happiny, though the pink Pokemon’s happiness seemed to only be invigorated by the surge. From a distance, one could see the lightning form the shape of a large heart, with Happiny at its base.

“Haaap…PEENY!” cried the Normal-type, breaking off the lightning and allowing the residual sparks to scatter across the stage.

Now that's a creative use of Helping Hand. I don't think I ever would have thought of presenting it that way.

“Whew,” Derak sighed in relief. “Nice work, Happiny.”

“Hap!” Happiny nodded.

“That was quite good,” Mr. Contesta nodded. “While I feel like it was lacking something, I loved how Happiny kept smiling the whole way through.”

“Happiny was quite remarkable!” Mr. Sukizo agreed.

“That little Pokemon is so cute,” Nurse Joy smiled. “I can’t wait to see it when it evolves into a Chansey!”

“Thank you for your participation, Derak!” Lillian cried. “This concludes our appeals round! Our judges will take a brief break to figure out who goes through, but their decision is sure to be a tough one!”

Derak took Happiny in his arms and left, shooting a glare at Elliot as he passed by. Once his rival was out of earshot, Derak spoke to Happiny.

“So…you think we’ll move on?” he asked in a low voice. “I mean, sure, what we’re really shooting for is the Badges and the League, but I’d still like to do well in this, you know?”

“Hap, hap-peeny!” Happiny nodded with a smile.

“Always the optimist, huh?” Derak commented, though he found it hard to hide a smile.

I can't blame Happiny for being optimistic, they did a good job out there.

Once Derak entered the backstage room, he immediately went back to his seat. Wildfire, whose gaze had originally been transfixed on the television screen, looked over to him.

“Char…?” it said slowly.

“Hey,” Derak said with a small smile. “I’ll be all right, thanks. Happiny’s the one who did most of the work, though.”

“And what a wonderful job it did,” Nando smiled.

“Yes,” Teresa nodded. “Your…first time on stage was, uh…it was better than mine.”

“I guess,” Derak sighed. He pulled his Pokedex out of his pocket and began to fiddle with it once more. Now all he could do was wait.

Teresa shouldn't be so down on herself, she did well too.

Damon’s knife plunged into a tree as N rolled across the ground. The former king of Team Plasma then jumped aside to avoid a lashing from Heatmor’s flaming tongue, though once he came to a stop, he saw Staraptor taking to the sky. Damon grinned, having also seen his avian Pokemon’s position.

“Let’s see how well you dodge this,” the feral man said darkly. “Staraptor, use Aerial Ace!”

I really appreciate the mood whiplash between Derak's scenes at the Contest and this. It makes the story more exciting through surprise.

I might have flipped it to say "the feral man darkly said." Something about that feels like it reads better.

The bird quickly dove towards N, streaks of white energy trailing from in front of it. N frowned, but did not move. He instead stood tall, and held out his arms.

“Star?” the attacking Pokemon blinked, stopping its attack. Why was its target not running?

“What are you waiting for, bird?!” Damon yelled as he yanked his knife out of the tree. “You want to be next?!”

Staraptor’s eyes widened, and with a flap of its wings it quickly resumed its attack. As before, however, N stood his ground.

“Staraptor,” he said, but the avian Pokemon shut its eyes and did its best to block him out.

And then it rammed into him.

N’s body was tossed across the ground, tumbling into a tree with a sickening thud. Damon only chuckled as he walked over to the fallen green-haired man.

Wow, I actually thought for a minute that Staraptor would listen to N's power. You caught me totally off guard there.

“The great N, Lord of Team Plasma…reduced to THIS!” he laughed, punctuating his last work with a kick to N’s side. “It’d be funny if it weren’t so pathetic.”

“Whuh…why?” N groaned weakly. “If you were part of Team Plasma…why are you doing such terrible things to the Pokemon you swore to protect?”

“Give me a break,” Damon snorted. “I was desperate for money, so I took the first paying job I could find. I never cared about your ‘save-the-Pokemon’ crap. They’re animals, pure and simple…and so are humans.”

Now, I would have thought N would have already understood that Damon didn't believe in the cause, but maybe he's not thinking clearly due to the situation.

He knelt down, dragging the edge of his knife across N’s hat.

“Like animals, humans kill and climb over each other to get ahead,” Damon continued. “Pokemon have the capacity for this, as well. There’s no point in pretending otherwise. Studies prove it, so why hide it?”

This line raises an interesting question: do you have ordinary animals in your universe?

A sudden explosion came from nearby. Damon whirled about to find the source of the noise, only to find his Mightyena being thrown unceremoniously through the trees and skidding to his feet.

“Mightyena?!” he cried. “What the hell did that?!”

“Someone,” N smiled as he struggled to his feet, “who spits in the face of all that humans think they know about Pokemon.”

With a mighty roar, Skull bolted through the trees and slammed his body into Heatmor, using his amplified dark aura to knock the fiery anteater into a tree. Though he gritted his teeth as recoil rocked his body, Skull turned towards Damon and growled.

Oh ****, it hit the fan now. I actually kind of forgot about Skull given that he was taken down earlier, but now that he's on the warpath, he isn't going to stop. Damon is screwed.

“You make me sick,” the Marowak snarled. “You think a species as arrogant and self-serving as humans is anything like a Pokemon? Don’t make me laugh!”

Damon said nothing, but prepared his knife. Skull responded by waving his bone, sending a group of large rocks out of the ground and hurtling towards Damon. The former Plasma grunt ducked to avoid most of them, but once he got back up, he found himself knocked back to the ground by the force of Skull’s body.

Did he really think his knife would have any effect?

“Stay down,” the Marowak snarled, pinning his bone to Damon’s neck. “Those studies you and your Mightyena keep yammering on about? Tauros crap, all of them. Humans will make up anything if it means getting recognition.”

“And the time I’ve spent with Pokemon growing up has proven to me that they are just as sentient as humans, if not more so,” N added.

“I won’t let you get the better of me—” Damon began as he tried to stab Skull, only for the bone-wielding lizard to knock his knife out of his hand.

“You were saying?” Skull said. Before Damon could speak further, Skull swiftly struck the man in the head with his bone. “Yeah, didn’t think so.”

“What, did he say things that bothered you?” Skull snorted as he stepped off of Damon’s body. “Forget about it. The guy’s a damn loon. We’ll need to stash him some place where he won’t cause trouble, though.”

“Yes,” N said. He looked over to Damon’s Pokemon. “And what of you all?”

Despite the apparent defeat of their trainer, most of the Pokemon looked rather unsure. Staraptor sheepishly approached N and looked up at him.

Derak’s grip on his Pokedex tightened as the images of the coordinators came up on screen. Nando’s image, as he expected, could be seen, as were the faces of Teresa, Aiden, and Elliot. Timmy Grimm’s image was also there, but Derak’s eyes widened at the final face.

Wildfire said nothing, but turned to its trainer and gave him a faint smile. Derak responded by gently petting his Chimchar’s head, his own smile much wider.

“Congratulations, my friend,” Nando smiled widely. “You have passed your first appeal. I am proud to have helped you reach this milestone.”

“Yeah…thanks for that, by the way,” Derak said. “Honestly, the appeal was the hardest part. Battles shouldn’t be too different from normal.”

“Yes, although you will have a time limit of five minutes,” Nando advised. “But let us focus not on the details, and instead turn our attention to the first of the battles.”

Derak did so, and grimaced at the sight of the first two trainers on stage; Elliot and Aiden. Both looked rather confident, but Elliot’s grin had a hint of malice to it.

This ought to be an interesting matchup...

“As you know, our coordinators must continue to show off their Pokemon, and will either gain or lose points for doing so!” Lillian announced, gesturing to the circular point meters underneath the combatants’ pictures. “With five minutes on the clock…begin!”

Gain points? Is that something you added, or am I misunderstanding the explanation?

The first second ticked away. Without any trace of hesitation, Elliot chose a green Pokeball from his belt.

“Grovyle, fight!” he cried.

Derak raised an eyebrow at Elliot’s choice of Pokemon. It looked similar to the Treecko favored by the Jason persona, but was roughly twice as large and had a darker shade of green on most of its body. Its red underbelly and lower jaw remained, but its bulbous tail had been replaced by a pair of large leaves. More leaves sprouted from the Pokemon’s wrists, and a long single leaf emerged from the top of the creature’s head.

“Grovyle,” the Pokedex stated, “the Wood Gecko Pokemon. Type is Grass. Evolved form of Treecko. The leaves growing out of Grovyle’s body are convenient for camouflaging it from enemies in the forest. This Pokemon is a master of climbing trees in jungles.”

Aiden’s Pokeball released a large purple dinosaur-like Pokemon, sporting a large horn and spiky mouse-like ears. Its burly arms ended in claws, and its colossal tail slammed the ground in anticipation of a fight.

“Nidoking,” Derak’s Pokedex reported, “the Drill Pokemon. Type is Poison and Ground. Evolved form of Nidorino. Nidoking’s thick tail packs enormous destructive power. With one swing, it can topple a transmission tower. Once this Pokemon goes on a rampage, there is no stopping it.”

“Wasn’t that thing a Nidorino just yesterday?” Derak asked his Pokemon.

“If that is the case, then this Aiden must have prepared well for this Contest,” Nando said.

Just my opinion, but wouldn't Nando be experienced enough to know that Nidorino evolves with a Moon Stone? I don't blame Derak for not knowing.

Nidoking’s fanged mouth smirked at the sight of Grovyle. It, like its trainer, assumed this battle to be an easy win.

“Let’s make this quick!” Aiden cried. “Nidoking, Sludge Bomb!”

The Drill Pokemon opened its mouth and spat a wad of slime at its Grass-type foe. Grovyle tensed its muscles, awaiting an order. Then, when the Sludge Bomb was within a few feet of his Pokemon, Elliot grinned.

“Detect.”

Grovyle’s eyes gleamed, and in one fluid movement, the Wood Gecko Pokemon leapt into the air and twirled around, landing gracefully back on the stage.

Clever move and timing.

“What?” Aiden sputtered as some of his points were detracted. “Okay, no more messing around! Drop a Rock Slide on it!”

Nidoking raised one fist into the air and let out a guttural bellow. Several feet above Grovyle, a slew of stones materialized seemingly out of nowhere, each barreling down towards the Grass-type.

“Counter with Leaf Blade!” Elliot ordered.

The leaves on Grovyle’s wrists merged together and grew into long glowing scythe-like blades, which proved useful as the reptile leapt into the air and sliced through the Rock Slide with little difficulty. While more of Aiden’s points were lost, the distraction gave time for Nidoking to rush in towards Grovyle, one fist drawn back and ready to strike.

“That’s it, Nidoking!” Aiden cried. “Use Brick Break!”

The Poison-type abruptly brought its arm down on Grovyle, who managed to catch the attack using one Leaf Blade. Unfortunately, Nidoking’s superior size and strength forced Grovyle down into one knee, the latter Pokemon struggling to hold the former back.

Even with that strike, it feels like Elliot is still in control of this fight.

Nidoking opened its mouth, and Grovyle could see another wad of sludge forming in the back of the dinosaur’s throat. The Grass-type glanced back towards Elliot, who simply smirked and said two words.

“Bullet Seed.”

With a smirk on its own face, Grovyle spat a small yellow sphere of energy directly into Nidoking’s mouth. The collision of this attack with Nidoking’s Sludge Bomb created enough force to knock the purple beast onto its back.

“Nidoking!” Aiden cried. Though he looked concerned, this expression quickly faded when he saw that only a small sliver of his points were left. “Come on, get up!”

Yeah, that's what I thought. Elliot's got this completely locked.

The Drill Pokemon, however, was on all fours, coughing into the floor. Once it heard its trainer’s voice, however, it gave its head a shake and stood back up on its feet.

“There we go!” Aiden cried. “Now, let’s finish this!”

“Let’s,” Elliot smirked. “Grovyle, begin.”

Grovyle spread its legs apart as a light gust stirred around it. Soon, the gust grew into a small tornado surrounding the Grass-type, whipping about the leaves on its body.

“I don’t like the look of that,” Aiden growled. “Nidoking, stop it with Echoed Voice!”

Nidoking let out another bellow, generating a series of sound waves from its mouth, but partway through the Drill Pokemon broke into another coughing fit. Grovyle winced as the sound waves came over it, but quickly shrugged it off.

That was an unexpected move choice. Probably a poor one on Aiden's part too, given the damage to Nidoking's throat.

Grovyle began to repeatedly swipe its arms at Nidoking, each swipe sending a blade-like blast of wind at the Poison-type. Despite being composed of air, each blade created physical bruises and cuts on its target’s body, and soon Nidoking was riddled with countless wounds. With a glare, Grovyle gave one last swing of its arm, and launched a final blast of wind that knocked its opponent onto the floor once again.

“Nidoking is down and out!” Lillian cried as Aiden’s points dropped to zero. “Our winner for this match…is Elliot!”

Elliot’s image appeared on the screen, and the boy’s blue eye twitched again. With the dominant persona back in control, the boy simply chuckled at the applause he received.

I bet he's going to end up against Derak, calling it now.

“How trifling,” he said before looking over to his Grass-type. “Well done, Grovyle.”

“Gro,” the Pokemon grunted, still glaring at Aiden and Nidoking even as the latter was reabsorbed into its Pokeball.

“And a big thank you to both coordinators for a well-fought battle!” Lillian cried, though Nurse Joy could not help but glanced worriedly at Elliot. “Next up in our list of battles is veteran coordinator Timmy Grimm versus newcomer Derak!”

“Of course,” Derak sighed.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Timmy said. “I figured this would happen, so I picked a Pokemon that’s perfect for our battle.”

“Oh, perfect,” Derak groaned as he recalled Wildfire and Happiny. “I’ll be sure to say ‘thank you’ for being so considerate as your Pokemon rips me to pieces.”

A rather luxurious hotel room in Saffron City was just one of the many locations to which the Contest was broadcasted. A woman with a ponytail of multicolored hair—sporting orange, blue, and green colors—sat beside a red-haired boy of about nine years on a large couch as they watched Elliot and Aiden’s battle.

“To my right is the former Phantom Coordinator from Verdanturf Town, Timmy Grimm!” Lillian declared as the camera focused on Timmy. “And to my left is the mysterious boy from Orre, Derak!”

When the camera focused on Derak, the mother’s eyes widened.

It…it can’t be, she thought.

“Mom? What is it?” the red-haired boy asked.

“Ozcar…could I ask you to do something for me?” his mother asked.

“Sure!” Ozcar nodded.

“When this Contest is over,” his mother said, “I need you to run an errand for me.”

...could that be who I think it is?

Soon, the two childhood friends had taken their places on stage. Timmy bore a smile, eager for this long-awaited battle. Derak, however, kept his expression neutral, attempting to hide his dread. This, he believed, was a match that would most certainly end badly.

“With five minutes on the clock…begin!” Lillian cried.

Derak reached for Wildfire’s orange Pokeball, but Timmy was quicker. His Pokeball was already in the air, and once it split open, a rather strange Pokemon came out. It appeared to be a floating brown insect shell, with a round head that played host to two narrow eyes. Above its head was a white halo, which contrasted against the Pokemon’s small skeletal wings.

“Sheeeddd-INJAAAAA!” the Pokemon cried in a surprisingly lively voice, though its face remained blank and motionless.

...well then, I never expected that. It's actually a good choice for Timmy, though.

“What the heck is that?” Derak asked.

An appropriate response.

“This is Shedinja, a unique Ghost-type Pokemon,” Timmy smirked. “If you can land one hit on it, Shedinja’s out like a light. On the other hand, its ability prevents any move that isn’t super-effective from doing any damage.”

“…and you’re going where with this?” Derak blinked. “Hang on, is this what you meant when you said...?”

“Least I can do for an old friend,” Timmy shrugged. “Might want to hurry and pick your Pokemon, though. Time’s running out.”

Crap, Derak thought with a wince, realizing that a minute had already passed. Okay, it’s a Ghost-type…uh…hang on, I know!

He quickly grabbed Echo’s Pokeball and threw it into the sky, allowing his Zubat to do a loop-de-loop before hovering in front of its trainer.

“A Zubat? Uh…interesting choice,” Timmy remarked, though he was clearly surprised at such a weak-looking Pokemon being in the possession of a trainer with five badges. Echo seemed to notice this as well, letting out a series of irritated screeches. “Uh, anyway! Shedinja, use Phantom Force!”

A swirling mass of darkness appeared underneath Shedinja, and the insect-like ghost quietly floated down into it. The portal soon closed, but another one opened underneath Echo. Before either Derak or his Pokemon could react, Shedinja rocketed upwards and rammed headfirst into Echo’s stomach, knocking the Bat Pokemon to the floor and subtracting some of Derak’s points.

Come on, Derak, get it together.

“Echo, you okay?” Derak cried. His Zubat quickly flapped back into the air, giving him a nod as it did so. “All right…use Shadow Ball!”

“Shedinja, Double Team!”

Echo shot a ball of darkness out of its mouth, but one Shedinja soon became many. The duplicate Ghost-types quickly surrounded Echo, though the Poison-type could only tell due to the noise they made.

“Just because I’m giving you a fair shot doesn’t mean I’m making it easy for you,” Timmy smirked.

There we go, I knew he wouldn't be totally throwing the fight.

“I noticed,” Derak growled. His mind raced as he desperately looked through the illusions for the real Shedinja. “Ugh, where are you? Echo, any ideas?”

Echo, however, pointed its head upward and let out another series of screeches. After a moment, it quickly turned towards the Shedinja duplicate to its right and screeched again.

“Okay, use Shadow Ball on that one!” Derak cried.

Nice use of Zubat's echolocation.

“How did it—” Timmy gasped. “Shedinja, Protect, quick!”

Shedinja’s illusion clones vanished, revealing the one to Echo’s right as the true one. Though Echo managed to fire off another Shadow Ball, a green bubble shielded the floating shell from the attack. This caused Derak’s points to drop even further.

“Now, counter with Bug Bite!” Timmy cried.

“Use your own Double Team!” Derak cried.

A pair of large fangs grew from the lower half of Shedinja’s head, but just as it lunged towards Echo, the Bat Pokemon gave it a taste of its own medicine by splitting into a series of illusions. Rather than surround its opponent, however, Echo instead opted to scatter its duplicates around the arena, some hovering closer to Shedinja and some remaining higher in the air.

Clever move on Derak's part, turning the tide on Timmy with his own tactic. Also, the imagery for Bug Bite is quite nicely vivid.

“Aw, no!” Timmy cried as some of his points finally fell. “Shedinja, try to find the real one with Aerial Ace!”

Shedinja rose into the air, ascending above all of Echo’s duplicates, and began to charge through each of the illusory clones. The shell’s body darted in every direction, changing paths in the blink of an eye as it raced through all of the Zubat copies. Eventually, it slammed into the real Echo, sending both it and some of Derak’s points downward.

Shedinja vanished into another dark portal, the exit to this one opening underneath a falling Echo. Though the Zubat was able to right itself and fly again, it could not stop its ghostly opponent from striking it once more. This time, as Derak’s Poison-type fell to the floor, the rest of Derak’s points went with it.

“Hey, Derak?” Timmy said as he approached. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to be that rough.”

“Whatever,” Derak grunted as he left the stage, Echo still in his arms. Timmy frowned sadly for a moment before following.

Obviously Derak's being a bit sore here, but it's understandable. It also fits in his character, so it's not a bad thing at all.

“To be honest, I thought you would pick something stronger than a Zubat,” Timmy said to Derak’s back. “Like your Chimchar or—”

I don't think you should have said that, Timmy.

Also, though, Derak did put up a pretty decent fight.

Echo suddenly shot out of Derak’s arms and flew up to Timmy’s face, screeching irritably all the while.

“Hey, whoa, easy there Ech—” Derak said as he reached for his Pokemon, but was cut off by something he had seen once before.

His Pokemon’s body started glowing white.

Echo grew from a tiny bat to a larger creature that was roughly Derak’s size. Its pointy legs developed true feet, albeit small ones, and its wings grew massively. The bat’s body also adopted a more humanoid structure, allowing it to stand on two legs with ease. Once the glow faded, Echo was revealed to have gained a pair of rather evil-looking eyes as well as a colossal mouth.

Another surprise, and a good one at that. That new Golbat will be helpful.

“Echo, this…this is great!” Derak cried. “Guess we got something good out of this Contest after all, huh?”

Echo smiled widely with a nod and a somewhat monstrous-sounding screech.

“I’ll look up the new you later,” Derak said as he recalled Echo. “Right now, it’s time for me to get going.”

“Wait, you’re not staying to watch the rest of the battles?” Timmy asked.

“Not much point, seeing as Echo and I lost,” Derak shrugged. “Besides, I still need to deal with the Gym.”

“Well…the next time we meet in a Contest, I bet you’ll have gotten a lot stronger,” Timmy smiled.

“If you say so,” Derak sighed. “Later.”

And with a limp wave of his hand, Derak left. Timmy waved after him, then went back to rejoin his fellow coordinators backstage.

“Derak…left already?” Teresa asked.

“Yeah,” Timmy nodded. “But I have a feeling we’ll see him in another Contest down the road. And once we do, he won’t lose.”

I suspect that the Contests will end up giving Derak some necessary skills to beat Nobunaga in the end. Like, something beyond just straight battling.

“I am certain of that as well,” Nando nodded. He looked over to the door, his smile fading somewhat. “Still…I find his refusal to interact with other humans for longer than he feels necessary to be somewhat worrying. Perhaps, when we see him next, we can encourage him to be more open.”

“Mr. Nando, he…he might not like that,” Teresa said timidly.

“True,” Nando nodded. “But, let us cross that bridge when it comes. For now, let us focus on our endeavors in this Contest.”

That might be a bit harder for them to fix.

Like I said, not quite back up to snuff yet. Things should improve after this chapter, though.

Don't worry about it, this chapter was very good! It was exciting and kept me interested with a number of surprises.

Last edited by The Great Butler; 17th July 2015 at 4:13 AM.

(Banner by Matori)Beyond all ideals, the truth shall set you free...
Most Recent: 20: The Weight of the World (Part 2)
Next: Father

I am alive, I am able, and I am finally finished with school for good.

Quick announcement: I've spent some time writing up multiple chapters, so there should be a more consistent flow of content (at least for a while). But, first, I'll respond to a few things.

The Great Butler: I think this is the first time I've gotten a chapter long enough for a multi-part review. That actually makes me a bit happy. XD

Aren't they valued for breeding purposes, though?

There are many things that I didn't quite remember when writing this chapter. The use of Everstones for breeding purposes (as well as Serebii's tendency to not incorporate fonts from Word) is one of those things.

Excellent choice for him.

I did take it from you, so...

I still think you would benefit from having more words than just "reported" for the Pokedex.

Yeah, I've been working on that for future chapters.

This line raises an interesting question: do you have ordinary animals in your universe?

I apologize for the massive delay in posting this chapter (which has actually been finished for a while now...). To be perfectly honest, there's a number of personal issues that I've been dealing with, which sometimes takes quite a while. But enough about that; let's finally continue this story.

Chapter 27: Return to Saffron Gym

The morning after the encounter with his mother, Derak took a deep breath as he stood outside the front doors of the Saffron Gym once more. A glint of determination was in his eyes. It was time to move forward.

No more feeling sorry for myself, Derak thought. I’ve started this journey, and there’s no reason to not finish it.

He reached out for the door, but just before he could grip the handle, he stopped.

“I know you’re there,” he said simply. “You were there last time.”

With a disappointed groan, Sabrina’s Haunter phased through the door. Once it saw Derak, however, it seemed to recognize him. Its frown flipped in an instant.

“Haun?” the Ghost-type said as it gestured to the door. “Ter, haunter?”

“You want to take me to Sabrina again?” Derak asked.

“Haunt!” nodded Haunter.

“Look, thanks for the offer, but I already know the way,” Derak said as he pulled the door open. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he saw Haunter’s face droop. “Oh, uh…look at it this way, you’ll have better luck with the next trainer that comes through here! Maybe he’ll let you…I don’t know, drag him into a toilet or something?”

Haunter snickered at the thought, immediately perking up. Derak smiled and went inside, the mischievous Ghost-type following. Following the same path on which he was led before, Derak once more found himself in the Gym’s arena. As before, Sabrina sat in a small throne on the other side, eyes initially closed.

“You have returned, Derak Kadir,” Sabrina said as she opened her eyes. “But…I sense that much has changed about you in the short time since your last visit.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Derak sighed. “Same rules as last time?”

Sabrina nodded, and a Pokeball began to levitate in front of her. The ball split open, and the Pokemon that appeared on the Gym Leader’s side of the field resembled a small purple feline with deep blue eyes and a small red gem in its forehead. The creature landed elegantly on the floor, adopting a sitting position and allowing its pronged tail to fall by its side.

“Espeon,” Derak’s Pokedex identified, “the Sun Pokemon. Type is Psychic. Evolved form of Eevee. Espeon is extremely loyal to any trainer it deems worthy. It is said that this Pokemon developed its precognitive powers to protect its trainer from harm.”

Derak frowned, remembering the Eevee that Elliot had caught in Celadon Mansion. The evolved Espeon tilted its head to the side, awaiting its opponent’s first choice of Pokemon.

“All right, then,” Derak said as he enlarged a Pokeball. “Echo, let’s go!”

“I see,” Sabrina said quietly as Echo appeared on the field, spreading its wings wide and sticking out its tongue. “There is more to this Golbat than basic types would suggest. Espeon, use Future Sight.”

Espeon’s eyes began to glow a bright blue as it stood up, tail quivering as it straightened like a rod. The Sun Pokemon began to hum as the glow in its eyes became brighter, and as the glow grew, so did the volume of Espeon’s hum. Finally, the hum reached maximum volume and the glow in Espeon’s eyes became blinding…

…and then both the hum and the glow disappeared. Nothing happened.

“…uh, what?” Derak blinked. “You’re kidding, right? There can’t be an attack that does nothing. There has to be a catch.”

“There is,” Sabrina nodded. “Some time from now, perhaps even after Espeon has fainted, that attack will return and strike whatever Pokemon you have out at the time.”

Echo quickly spat a wad of darkness out of its enormous mouth, but Espeon tensed its muscles and projected a yellow cube of light around itself. The Shadow Ball struck the cube, and while Espeon was knocked back by the force of the impact, the Psychic-type got up seconds later as the cube vanished.

“That Light Screen will not last forever,” Sabrina pointed out, “but as long as it is in play, all damage from ranged attacks is weakened.”

Which means the one move Echo has that works well against Psychic-types isn’t as effective as it should be, Derak thought with a grimace. And we can’t stall it out with Double Team because Future Sight will come back and hit Echo.

“Well…it’s risky, but we’ll have to go up close and personal,” Derak said. “Zen Headbutt!”

Echo complied, generating a dome of blue light from its ears as it shot towards Espeon. The feline dodged with a nimble leap, however, and quickly retaliated by firing a bolt of rainbow lightning from the gem on its forehead.

“Double Team, quick!”

Following Derak’s order, Echo multiplied itself once more, causing Espeon’s Psybeam to pierce one of the illusion duplicates. Sabrina only frowned slightly at this development.

“Swift,” she said flatly.

Espeon’s gem was once again the source of an attack, this time releasing a storm of golden stars that tore through most of the duplicate Golbats. As the last of the visible copies of Echo vanished, however, the real one was nowhere to be seen. Sabrina’s Haunter looked confused, putting a hand above its eyes as it looked around for the Bat Pokemon, but the Gym Leader herself maintained a neutral expression.

“Psybeam again,” Sabrina ordered, closing her eyes. “Straight up.”

“Crap,” Derak grimaced. “Echo, fight back with Sludge Bomb!”

As Espeon’s rainbow lightning shot towards the ceiling, Echo—having been hanging upside-down, wings wrapped around its body, in the spot to which the Psybeam was now headed—unfolded its wings and spat a large sphere of slime directly at the incoming Psybeam. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion that blew smoke throughout the arena.

“Now!” Derak cried. “Hit it with your best Shadow Ball!”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, as did her Espeon. As the smoke began to clear, both saw Echo standing close to Derak as a rather large Shadow Ball formed in front of its colossal mouth, the attack growing rather close to the Golbat’s actual size. The Gym Leader’s eyes widened as she realized the futility in destroying this Shadow Ball, a realization that—as evidenced by the Sun Pokemon’s widening eyes—also struck her Espeon.

Eventually, the Shadow Ball fired. Espeon planted its feet and stood its ground, its Light Screen returning to shield it. Unfortunately, this massive Shadow Ball proved too much for the Light Screen, and the barrier eventually faded away. With no more protection, Espeon was helplessly tossed aside by the impact of the Shadow Ball, rendering it unconscious within moments.

“Espeon!” Sabrina gasped. She then closed her eyes as a Pokeball levitated beside her and recalled her fallen Psychic-type. “That was…an impressive Shadow Ball. Fortune must certainly have been on your side, as well, given how Espeon’s Light Screen wore off seconds before the attack struck.”

“Had to get lucky sometime, I guess,” Derak shrugged. Echo snickered, remembering some of their rather unlucky moments.

“Yes,” Sabrina nodded. “But fortune is not everything in a Pokemon battle…as you should know if you reached my Gym to begin with.”

Another Pokeball levitated beside her, this time releasing her second Pokemon. A rather strange looking Pokemon took Sabrina’s side of the field, resembling a small human-like creature with a round pink-and-white body and two patches of blue hair protruding from the sides of its head. Its hands appeared to be white gloves, each bearing a pink circle on its fingertips, and its feet appeared to be pointed blue shoes.

“Mr. Mime,” said Derak’s Pokedex, “the Barrier Pokemon. Type is Psychic and Fairy. Evolved form of Mime Jr. Mr. Mime is a master of pantomime. Its gestures and motions convince watchers that something invisible actually exists. Once the watchers are convinced, the invisible object becomes real.”

“Fairy?” Derak repeated, trying to ignore the rather disturbing implications of Mr. Mime’s unique ability. “Never heard of that one.”

“Nor had I, until recently,” Sabrina said. “Fairy-types are a new type of Pokemon discovered in the distant Kalos region. That discovery seemed to awaken Fairy-type properties in Pokemon that had once been only a single type…such as my Mr. Mime.”

“Mime!” the Fairy-type nodded, opening its hands and aiming its palms in front of it as if pressing them against something.

“Okay…I think we can manage,” Derak said. “Right, Echo?”

Echo nodded, spreading its wings wide, but its body was suddenly covered in a blue aura. The aura soon intensified, and before a confused Echo could react, an explosion of blue energy blasted it off of the battlefield and into the wall beside Derak.

“Echo!” Derak cried as he rushed to his Golbat’s aid, only to find it fainted. Sabrina’s Haunter, floating at the sidelines, covered its wide mouth with both hands in an attempt to hide a snicker.

“That,” Sabrina said, “would be Espeon’s Future Sight.”

“Great,” Derak sighed as he recalled Echo. “Figures that good luck wouldn’t last very long. All right…Wildfire, let’s go!”

“So…you have returned to the field, little Chimchar,” Sabrina remarked upon seeing Wildfire again. “And with an Everstone, as well. Let us see if that aids you.”

She looked to Mr. Mime for a moment, and the Fairy-type nodded as it put its hands together. Its eyes began to glow blue before it spread its arms wide, releasing a wave of psychic energy towards Wildfire.

“Quick, use Protect!” Derak cried.

Wildfire’s green bubble shielded it from the Psywave, the energy coursing over the bubble and dissipating. Sabrina narrowed her eyes.

“I see,” she said. “Mr. Mime.”

The human-like Pokemon nodded again, then formed a ball of bright purple energy between its hands. Mr. Mime then thrust its palms forward, casting the ball towards Wildfire. Once the sphere made contact with the fire monkey, Wildfire’s eyes glazed over and it began to stumble aimlessly about the arena.

“Uh…what’s going on?!” Derak asked, failing to keep a tinge of panic out of his voice. “What did you do to him?!”

“That move was Confuse Ray,” Sabrina answered. “It causes the target Pokemon to enter a confused state. When confused, a Pokemon’s moves may strike itself rather than its opponent.”

Derak grimaced, eyes glancing over to Wildfire. The Chimchar had prepared a Thunderpunch of its own accord, and swung its electrified fist around wildly. Its trainer’s grimace grew.

“Can’t do much of anything right now,” Derak sighed, holding up his starter’s orange Pokeball. “Come on back, Wildfire.”

“Your Chimchar will recover,” Sabrina pointed out. “The next time it will be sent out, the confusion will have worn off. But first…you must choose another Pokemon.”

“I know,” Derak said. He held up Strike’s Safari Ball and remembered the last time the Scyther was used in a Gym battle, where it behaved without regard for either its surroundings or the opposing Pokemon’s life. Derak knew, however, what his only other option was. “Strike…let’s go!”

The Scyther appeared on the field, immediately scowling at its opponent. Mr. Mime recoiled a bit, already disturbed by its opponent’s demeanor. Sabrina, however, only raised an eyebrow.

“Your Scyther is…not in the best of health,” she said. Strike rolled its eyes. “Are you certain that you wish for it to battle?”

“Well…he’s about the only other Pokemon I’ve got that can fight right now,” Derak shrugged.

“I see,” Sabrina said. Her gaze became more intense. “Tell me…how would you fare if you were pushed into battle despite having broken legs?”

One of Strike’s eyes twitched. It knew what direction she was heading in, and it growled at the thought.

“Look, I think I can guess what you’re thinking—”

“Can you really?” the Gym Leader interrupted. “My Pokemon and I share a psychic connection. What one feels, the other feels as well. If one of us laughs, so will the other. If one of us suffers…so will the other. By forcing your Scyther to fight, you inflict pain to both of you.”

“Hey, you can ask him yourself if he wants to fight or not,” Derak protested. “You’re the one who can read minds.”

“It is the trainer’s responsibility to see to the safety of the Pokemon under his or her ownership, regardless of their feelings on the matter,” Sabrina scowled. She then finally rose from her throne. “Until further notice, I will be postponing this battle—”

“SCYYYTHER!”

With fury in its eyes, Strike charged past Mr. Mime and towards Sabrina. Though she initially gasped at the sight, the Gym Leader quickly composed herself and held out her arms.

“Strike, no!” Derak yelled, fumbling for his Scyther’s Safari Ball.

Strike’s blade swung for Sabrina, but stopped in mid-air, becoming surrounded by an aura similar to that of a Psychic attack. Despite the Scyther’s best efforts, Sabrina’s telekinesis brought its blade back down to its side.

Strike snarled at the condescension in her tone, and glanced behind itself at its bandaged wings. The Bug-type spat at the ground and clenched its jaw. It turned its gaze upon Sabrina, and with as much hate in its eyes as it could muster, Strike made its choice.

One of its wings twitched.

“Strike, was that…are you nuts?!” Derak cried. “Your wings are still hurt!”

Strike ignored him as it continued twitching its wings. Sabrina looked on, her face radiating almost as much shock as Derak’s. That was what the Scyther wanted. No one was going to pity it, or underestimate it, and get away with it. Strike gritted its teeth as it began to sweat, pouring as much effort as it could into the movement of its wings.

Finally, the casts began to rip. Strike smirked at the sound, then made one final push. The casts continued to tear and tumble as two gossamer wings emerged from within.

“Scy…THER!” Strike yelled, and silver energy enveloped its wings as they burst free, forcing away what little was left of its casts. Its metallic wings glowed brightly for a moment, then faded away as normal insect wings took their place.

Strike flitted its wings a bit, giving them a test after their period of inactivity. It smirked; its wings seemed to be just fine now.

“Well…if you are so determined,” Sabrina said as she returned to her throne, “then the battle shall continue. Are you both ready?”

Derak looked to Strike as the Scyther came back to his side of the field.

“You’re definitely ready to go all out?” he asked.

“Scyyy,” Strike nodded. It flitted its wings again. It had waited a long time for this.

“Okay…let’s do this,” Derak said. “Strike, use X-Scissor!”

Strike crossed its blades and crouched for a moment, and in a sudden surge of speed, it was right in front of Sabrina’s Mr. Mime. Pausing only to give the startled Fairy-type a sneer, Strike slashed the opposing Pokemon’s chest in an X-shaped pattern. Mr. Mime tumbled back, but quickly flipped back to its feet.

“If you will go all out, then so will we,” Sabrina said. “Mr. Mime, Thunderbolt!”

“Crap!” Derak winced. “Strike, can you dodge it?”

Strike narrowed its eyes as Mr. Mime’s hands became charged with electricity. A bolt of lightning soon erupted from one of the psychic fairy’s palms, but in a blur of movement, Strike was no longer in the place where the attack was aimed.

“Since we can use your wings now…hit it with Steel Wing!” Derak cried.

Strike shot into the air, then quickly dive-bombed Mr. Mime, its wings glowing silver once again. The Barrier Pokemon ducked in fright as Strike’s attack grazed its back, looking up in time to see the Scyther coming back for another run. Mr. Mime prepared another Thunderbolt, but Strike was upon it before the electrical attack could be released. Mr. Mime tumbled across the ground again, this time with a rather wide bruise on its chest.

“Such speed and skill…and so soon after regaining the use of its wings,” Sabrina gasped. “I see now that I was wrong…this is no ordinary Scyther.”

“No kidding,” Derak smirked. “Ready to wrap this up, Strike?”

Strike landed back on Derak’s side of the field and gave him a nod.

“We have few options left,” Sabrina grimaced. “Mr. Mime!”

Sabrina’s Pokemon nodded, then formed another Confuse Ray between its hands.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Derak cried. “Strike, nail him with Quick Attack before that goes off!”

In a rush of wind, Strike was barreling towards Mr. Mime at blinding speed. Sabrina’s eyes went wide.

“Barrier, quickly!” she cried.

Mr. Mime’s Confuse Ray dissipated as it held out its hands, forming what seemed to be a wall of glass in front of it. It expected Strike to slam head-first into the Barrier like a bird into a window, but instead, a bladed arm sliced through the shield. Strike smirked as it held its arms out, then delivered one last X-Scissor to Mr. Mime’s chest. With that, the Fairy-type fell to the ground, finally fainted.

“Whew,” Derak sighed. “Nice work, Strike.”

“Scy,” Strike replied, but kept its glare focused on Sabrina.

“Nice work indeed,” the Gym Leader admitted. “As I said before, Derak Kadir, you and your Pokemon have completely surpassed my expectations. But…I trust you know what is coming next.”

Derak tensed; he most certainly did know. Sabrina levitated one last Pokeball, and out came her Alakazam. The fox-like creature narrowed its eyes at Strike, its two spoons bending slightly already.

“There it is,” Derak remarked. He looked to his Scyther. “Want to keep going? I mean, this kind of is your show now.”

Strike nodded.

“Okay, go in for X-Scissor!” Derak cried.

“Hold it down, Alakazam!” Sabrina yelled.

Before Strike could move, the Psi Pokemon held out its spoons and radiated the familiar aura of its Psychic attack. An aura soon surrounded Strike, and the Scyther soon found its body becoming incredibly heavy. As much as the Bug-type growled and struggled, it could not move.

“Ugh…hang on, try a Silver Wind!” Derak cried.

Strike stopped focusing its effort on moving its limbs and instead tried only to move its wings. Alakazam’s mental grip on its wings was not as strong—likely due to its trainer’s attempt at mercy, Strike guessed—and as a result the Scyther was able to whip up a colorful wind that sprayed towards Alakazam. Sabrina’s chief Psychic-type winced as it was pushed back, releasing Strike from the Psychic attack.

“All right,” said Derak. “Now, go for Quick Attack before it can do that again!”

Strike blazed into the fray once again, but this time, Sabrina did not flinch. Alakazam simply put its spoons together, forming a small ball of electricity, and waited. Just when Strike came near, the electrical sphere exploded into a beam of lightning that rammed directly into Strike’s chest. The Scyther cried out in pain as the lightning rippled through its body, forcing it down to one knee.

The fox nodded, creating a Shadow Ball between its spoons. Strike was back on its feet, but before it could attack again, Alakazam’s Shadow Ball slammed into its stomach and knocked it to the floor. The Scyther had finally passed out, its rampage ended at last.

“Well…you did your best, Strike,” Derak said as he recalled his Scyther. He held up Wildfire’s orange Pokeball once more. This was it. “Here goes…come on back out, Wildfire!”

The Chimchar took the field once more, its confusion gone. It swallowed hard, however, upon realizing that its opponent was Sabrina’s Alakazam.

“Hey, we can do this, pal,” Derak said. “We can do it.”

Wildfire closed its eyes for a moment, then opened them. It nodded.

“If you are ready, we shall take the first move,” Sabrina said. “Charge Beam.”

“Dodge it and use Flame Wheel!”

Alakazam formed the electrical ball once more, but Wildfire leapt out of the attack’s reach before performing its trademark flaming somersault. Its target, however, simply sighed and held up one spoon. Another Psychic surrounded Wildfire, holding it in the air.

“Aw, crap…what do we…uh, try and shake it off with Protect!” Derak sputtered.

Rather than struggle outward against the Psychic, Wildfire folded its arms inward and allowed the green bubble to generate around it. The Protect promptly pushed the Psychic aura away, allowing Wildfire to fall back to the ground unharmed.

“Well done,” Sabrina nodded. “Still…I should warn you that every time Alakazam uses Charge Beam, it has a chance of increasing the power of all its ranged attacks by using leftover electricity.”

Derak grimaced, remembering what happened after the Psi Pokemon used Charge Beam on Strike. The electricity remaining on its body had given its future attacks a boost.

“With that in mind…go,” Sabrina said to her Pokemon. Alakazam put its spoons together for another Charge Beam.

It gets stronger every time it uses that? Great, Derak thought bitterly. Hang on…if it uses that specific electricity to power itself up…oh boy.

“Okay…Wildfire?” Derak began. “This is probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever asked you to do…but I need you to go in for Thunder Punch!”

“Char!” Wildfire cried without a second’s hesitation as it rushed forth, one fist crackling with electricity. Sabrina narrowed her eyes.

“Even though I hear your thoughts…I have no idea what you are trying to do,” she said.

Wildfire did as it was told, putting its electrified fist forward and allowing it to take the brunt of the charge beam. The two sources of lightning collided at first, and Wildfire held one arm with the other to prevent giving in. Eventually, however, the Charge Beam and the Thunder Punch became one as the energies combined into one large electrical fist.

“That’s…incredible,” Sabrina gasped. Alakazam was similarly speechless, even as Wildfire came forward and slammed its newly-empowered fist into the Psi Pokemon’s body. The yellow fox was instantly floored, electricity crackling over its body.

“Is…that it?” Derak blinked.

Sabrina closed her eyes.

“No,” she said simply.

Alakazam suddenly vanished in a flash of light. Wildfire began looking around wildly in an attempt to find its missing foe, only for the Psychic-type to reappear behind it. A Psychic attack formed around Wildfire once more, lifting the Fire-type into the air again.

Before Wildfire could form the shield, however, it was unceremoniously slammed into the ground. Immediately afterward, the Chimchar was rocketed up towards the ceiling, slamming into that as well. Sabrina’s normally-jovial Haunter gulped, no longer finding these events amusing.

“As a Gym Leader, it is my duty to test all trainers to the fullest,” Sabrina said as Alakazam continued to bounce Wildfire around the room. “You seem to care for your Chimchar very much…are you willing to forfeit this match to prevent it from being badly injured?”

“And how exactly is this fair?” Derak growled.

“Make your decision,” Sabrina said. “Time is running out.”

Alakazam slammed Wildfire into the floor again to prove its trainer’s point. It prepared to lift the Chimchar once more, but stopped when it noticed something strange. A crimson aura began to burn around Wildfire’s body. In its confusion, Alakazam accidentally released the Psychic aura, allowing Wildfire to stand up.

“Blaze,” Sabrina identified, noticing Derak’s confused stare. “That ability only activates when a Fire-type starter Pokemon’s endurance is low. It boosts the strength of the user’s Fire-type attacks…but I doubt that moves such as Ember or Flame Wheel will do much good.”

Wildfire rose to its feet with a valiant shout, its Blaze aura burning brightly. It began to growl angrily at its opponent…and so did its trainer.

Wildfire clenched its fists and gritted its teeth. Alakazam held out its spoons and attempted to create another Psychic around its opponent, but the Chimchar’s mouth suddenly opened wide.

And a massive stream of flame shot out.

Alakazam’s eyes went wide as it redirected its Psychic, trying to divert the fire away from itself and its trainer. Haunter let out a panicked cry as it quickly floated towards the ceiling near Sabrina’s throne.

“It’s learned Flamethrower,” Sabrina gasped. “Because its evolution was held off for so long, that Chimchar was able to learn that attack earlier than its evolutions would have.”

With a flame of greater intensity than before, Wildfire entered its burning somersault again and charged towards Alakazam. As with previous attempts of this kind, however, a Psychic quickly stopped the fire monkey.

“Is that it?” Sabrina asked.

“Not yet,” Derak said. “Flamethrower!”

With Alakazam’s focus already on holding Wildfire in place, it was unable to generate another means of protecting itself. Its body was quickly awash with flames, and in moments, the Psi Pokemon was lying on the ground. Its body was partially burnt, but most importantly, it was unconscious.

Derak breathed heavily for a moment, as did Wildfire. Haunter tentatively came back down.

“Okay?!” Derak yelled. “Are we done here?!”

“Yes…yes we are,” Sabrina said quietly. “In spite of every distasteful tactic I used…you have prevailed.”

Derak let out a long sigh as he sat down. Once Wildfire stopped panting, it looked worriedly at the Alakazam it once fought. Had it already become a brutal monster like Spire’s Infernape?

But Alakazam gave it a smile as Sabrina recalled it. And after a moment of consideration, Wildfire returned the smile.

“I must say, Derak Kadir…you are a very unusual trainer,” Sabrina said as she approached Derak, Haunter floating by her side. “That does seem to work in your favor, however. And…I apologize for pushing you as far as I did. My duty is to test trainers in every aspect, not just strength.”

“Whatever,” Derak grunted as he stood up. Sabrina frowned, but held out a small badge that seemed to be formed from two golden circles, one within the other.

“Here is your proof of my defeat,” she said. “The Marsh Badge.”

“Okay…first the Soul Badge for a Poison-type Gym, then the Marsh Badge for a Psychic-type Gym?” Derak blinked as he took the badge and placed it in his badge case. “Where do you people come up with these names?”

Haunter snickered somewhat. Even Sabrina smiled slightly.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to ask the makers of the Pokemon League that question,” she said. “You have two badges to go until you reach that point. The next of those is on the distant Cinnabar Island. I wish you the best of luck.”

Derak shrugged as he stuffed his badge case back into his pocket and left. Sabrina closed her eyes and smiled.

“A trainer with such a talent in battle…yet who believes that winning is not everything, even at so young an age,” she mused. “You may go farther than you believe, Derak Kadir, if you allow yourself.”

I owe you an apology, first off. I totally forgot to do the previous chapter. If it's okay, I'll just give a few quick thoughts on it before I get to the current one.

I guess I'll comment on the two big events that happened in that chapter, one at a time. First, Derak meeting Liane. It was understandably awkward, and I can't say I'm all that surprised it went wrong. Derak absolutely can't be blamed for reacting the way he did, but at the same time, I think Liane did mean well and simply misspoke - it's clearly a bad situation altogether, but it's not something that can be easily resolved.

The second point, Garth's backstory. Interesting incorporation of Ransei, which is something that's seen far too rarely, at least in what I read. It did well in establishing exactly why Garth hates Nobunaga so much, and also illuminates a possible weakness of Nobunaga's in that he's so arrogant that he fails to notice a potential threat and ignores it, thus creating a possible avenue for his downfall. You also established a reasonable explanation for why Garth and Nobunaga are still alive, which is something that could have been very difficult. The way Garth's Lillipup actually died, while being suitably tearjerking, also got me thinking about a possible origin for that shadowy Stoutland from the earlier chapters.

The one question I have is, why was Garth named Garth when he was born and raised in what for all intents and purposes was feudal Japan?

Originally Posted by Morpher01

Chapter 27: Return to Saffron Gym

The morning after the encounter with his mother, Derak took a deep breath as he stood outside the front doors of the Saffron Gym once more. A glint of determination was in his eyes. It was time to move forward.

No more feeling sorry for myself, Derak thought. I’ve started this journey, and there’s no reason to not finish it.

It feels like something's changed about him. I'm not sure what it is, but his determination after (at least temporarily) closing the book on that chapter of his life is impressive.

He reached out for the door, but just before he could grip the handle, he stopped.

“I know you’re there,” he said simply. “You were there last time.”

With a disappointed groan, Sabrina’s Haunter phased through the door. Once it saw Derak, however, it seemed to recognize him. Its frown flipped in an instant.

This old friend put a smile on my face immediately.

“Haun?” the Ghost-type said as it gestured to the door. “Ter, haunter?”

“You want to take me to Sabrina again?” Derak asked.

“Haunt!” nodded Haunter.

“Look, thanks for the offer, but I already know the way,” Derak said as he pulled the door open. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he saw Haunter’s face droop. “Oh, uh…look at it this way, you’ll have better luck with the next trainer that comes through here! Maybe he’ll let you…I don’t know, drag him into a toilet or something?”

I really, really hope we get a punchline delivery on this later where another character gets pranked by Haunter. The setup for it is perfect.

Haunter snickered at the thought, immediately perking up. Derak smiled and went inside, the mischievous Ghost-type following. Following the same path on which he was led before, Derak once more found himself in the Gym’s arena. As before, Sabrina sat in a small throne on the other side, eyes initially closed.

“You have returned, Derak Kadir,” Sabrina said as she opened her eyes. “But…I sense that much has changed about you in the short time since your last visit.”

I have to admit I'm having a little trouble visualizing Sabrina talking like this right now, but it's not your fault. Olympia's episodes just aired and her portrayal as a psychic was so over the top that I can't forget her yet, even though I'm reading about Sabrina.

And she's right, she's picking up on something I picked up on too. The fact that a reader is able to pick up on the same thing as a character (especially a psychic) says that you portrayed that change correctly, in my opinion.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Derak sighed. “Same rules as last time?”

I like that they're jumping right into it.

Sabrina nodded, and a Pokeball began to levitate in front of her. The ball split open, and the Pokemon that appeared on the Gym Leader’s side of the field resembled a small purple feline with deep blue eyes and a small red gem in its forehead. The creature landed elegantly on the floor, adopting a sitting position and allowing its pronged tail to fall by its side.

“Espeon,” Derak’s Pokedex identified, “the Sun Pokemon. Type is Psychic. Evolved form of Eevee. Espeon is extremely loyal to any trainer it deems worthy. It is said that this Pokemon developed its precognitive powers to protect its trainer from harm.”

Ah, a good choice. I didn't expect to see Espeon pop up.

And you're starting to use words other than "reported" for the Pokedex, that's great. Thumbs up.

Derak frowned, remembering the Eevee that Elliot had caught in Celadon Mansion. The evolved Espeon tilted its head to the side, awaiting its opponent’s first choice of Pokemon.

“All right, then,” Derak said as he enlarged a Pokeball. “Echo, let’s go!”

“I see,” Sabrina said quietly as Echo appeared on the field, spreading its wings wide and sticking out its tongue. “There is more to this Golbat than basic types would suggest. Espeon, use Future Sight.”

Espeon’s eyes began to glow a bright blue as it stood up, tail quivering as it straightened like a rod. The Sun Pokemon began to hum as the glow in its eyes became brighter, and as the glow grew, so did the volume of Espeon’s hum. Finally, the hum reached maximum volume and the glow in Espeon’s eyes became blinding…

…and then both the hum and the glow disappeared. Nothing happened.

“…uh, what?” Derak blinked. “You’re kidding, right? There can’t be an attack that does nothing. There has to be a catch.”

“There is,” Sabrina nodded. “Some time from now, perhaps even after Espeon has fainted, that attack will return and strike whatever Pokemon you have out at the time.”

Echo quickly spat a wad of darkness out of its enormous mouth, but Espeon tensed its muscles and projected a yellow cube of light around itself. The Shadow Ball struck the cube, and while Espeon was knocked back by the force of the impact, the Psychic-type got up seconds later as the cube vanished.

“That Light Screen will not last forever,” Sabrina pointed out, “but as long as it is in play, all damage from ranged attacks is weakened.”

Which means the one move Echo has that works well against Psychic-types isn’t as effective as it should be, Derak thought with a grimace. And we can’t stall it out with Double Team because Future Sight will come back and hit Echo.

“Well…it’s risky, but we’ll have to go up close and personal,” Derak said. “Zen Headbutt!”

Echo complied, generating a dome of blue light from its ears as it shot towards Espeon. The feline dodged with a nimble leap, however, and quickly retaliated by firing a bolt of rainbow lightning from the gem on its forehead.

“Double Team, quick!”

Following Derak’s order, Echo multiplied itself once more, causing Espeon’s Psybeam to pierce one of the illusion duplicates. Sabrina only frowned slightly at this development.

“Swift,” she said flatly.

Espeon’s gem was once again the source of an attack, this time releasing a storm of golden stars that tore through most of the duplicate Golbats. As the last of the visible copies of Echo vanished, however, the real one was nowhere to be seen. Sabrina’s Haunter looked confused, putting a hand above its eyes as it looked around for the Bat Pokemon, but the Gym Leader herself maintained a neutral expression.

“Psybeam again,” Sabrina ordered, closing her eyes. “Straight up.”

“Crap,” Derak grimaced. “Echo, fight back with Sludge Bomb!”

As Espeon’s rainbow lightning shot towards the ceiling, Echo—having been hanging upside-down, wings wrapped around its body, in the spot to which the Psybeam was now headed—unfolded its wings and spat a large sphere of slime directly at the incoming Psybeam. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion that blew smoke throughout the arena.

“Now!” Derak cried. “Hit it with your best Shadow Ball!”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, as did her Espeon. As the smoke began to clear, both saw Echo standing close to Derak as a rather large Shadow Ball formed in front of its colossal mouth, the attack growing rather close to the Golbat’s actual size. The Gym Leader’s eyes widened as she realized the futility in destroying this Shadow Ball, a realization that—as evidenced by the Sun Pokemon’s widening eyes—also struck her Espeon.

Eventually, the Shadow Ball fired. Espeon planted its feet and stood its ground, its Light Screen returning to shield it. Unfortunately, this massive Shadow Ball proved too much for the Light Screen, and the barrier eventually faded away. With no more protection, Espeon was helplessly tossed aside by the impact of the Shadow Ball, rendering it unconscious within moments.

“Espeon!” Sabrina gasped. She then closed her eyes as a Pokeball levitated beside her and recalled her fallen Psychic-type. “That was…an impressive Shadow Ball. Fortune must certainly have been on your side, as well, given how Espeon’s Light Screen wore off seconds before the attack struck.”

“Had to get lucky sometime, I guess,” Derak shrugged. Echo snickered, remembering some of their rather unlucky moments.

“Yes,” Sabrina nodded. “But fortune is not everything in a Pokemon battle…as you should know if you reached my Gym to begin with.”

Another Pokeball levitated beside her, this time releasing her second Pokemon. A rather strange looking Pokemon took Sabrina’s side of the field, resembling a small human-like creature with a round pink-and-white body and two patches of blue hair protruding from the sides of its head. Its hands appeared to be white gloves, each bearing a pink circle on its fingertips, and its feet appeared to be pointed blue shoes.

“Mr. Mime,” said Derak’s Pokedex, “the Barrier Pokemon. Type is Psychic and Fairy. Evolved form of Mime Jr. Mr. Mime is a master of pantomime. Its gestures and motions convince watchers that something invisible actually exists. Once the watchers are convinced, the invisible object becomes real.”

“Fairy?” Derak repeated, trying to ignore the rather disturbing implications of Mr. Mime’s unique ability. “Never heard of that one.”

“Nor had I, until recently,” Sabrina said. “Fairy-types are a new type of Pokemon discovered in the distant Kalos region. That discovery seemed to awaken Fairy-type properties in Pokemon that had once been only a single type…such as my Mr. Mime.”

“Mime!” the Fairy-type nodded, opening its hands and aiming its palms in front of it as if pressing them against something.

“Okay…I think we can manage,” Derak said. “Right, Echo?”

Echo nodded, spreading its wings wide, but its body was suddenly covered in a blue aura. The aura soon intensified, and before a confused Echo could react, an explosion of blue energy blasted it off of the battlefield and into the wall beside Derak.

“Echo!” Derak cried as he rushed to his Golbat’s aid, only to find it fainted. Sabrina’s Haunter, floating at the sidelines, covered its wide mouth with both hands in an attempt to hide a snicker.

“That,” Sabrina said, “would be Espeon’s Future Sight.”

“Great,” Derak sighed as he recalled Echo. “Figures that good luck wouldn’t last very long. All right…Wildfire, let’s go!”

“So…you have returned to the field, little Chimchar,” Sabrina remarked upon seeing Wildfire again. “And with an Everstone, as well. Let us see if that aids you.”

She looked to Mr. Mime for a moment, and the Fairy-type nodded as it put its hands together. Its eyes began to glow blue before it spread its arms wide, releasing a wave of psychic energy towards Wildfire.

“Quick, use Protect!” Derak cried.

Wildfire’s green bubble shielded it from the Psywave, the energy coursing over the bubble and dissipating. Sabrina narrowed her eyes.

“I see,” she said. “Mr. Mime.”

The human-like Pokemon nodded again, then formed a ball of bright purple energy between its hands. Mr. Mime then thrust its palms forward, casting the ball towards Wildfire. Once the sphere made contact with the fire monkey, Wildfire’s eyes glazed over and it began to stumble aimlessly about the arena.

“Uh…what’s going on?!” Derak asked, failing to keep a tinge of panic out of his voice. “What did you do to him?!”

“That move was Confuse Ray,” Sabrina answered. “It causes the target Pokemon to enter a confused state. When confused, a Pokemon’s moves may strike itself rather than its opponent.”

Derak grimaced, eyes glancing over to Wildfire. The Chimchar had prepared a Thunderpunch of its own accord, and swung its electrified fist around wildly. Its trainer’s grimace grew.

“Can’t do much of anything right now,” Derak sighed, holding up his starter’s orange Pokeball. “Come on back, Wildfire.”

“Your Chimchar will recover,” Sabrina pointed out. “The next time it will be sent out, the confusion will have worn off. But first…you must choose another Pokemon.”

“I know,” Derak said. He held up Strike’s Safari Ball and remembered the last time the Scyther was used in a Gym battle, where it behaved without regard for either its surroundings or the opposing Pokemon’s life. Derak knew, however, what his only other option was. “Strike…let’s go!”

The Scyther appeared on the field, immediately scowling at its opponent. Mr. Mime recoiled a bit, already disturbed by its opponent’s demeanor. Sabrina, however, only raised an eyebrow.

“Your Scyther is…not in the best of health,” she said. Strike rolled its eyes. “Are you certain that you wish for it to battle?”

“Well…he’s about the only other Pokemon I’ve got that can fight right now,” Derak shrugged.

“I see,” Sabrina said. Her gaze became more intense. “Tell me…how would you fare if you were pushed into battle despite having broken legs?”

One of Strike’s eyes twitched. It knew what direction she was heading in, and it growled at the thought.

“Look, I think I can guess what you’re thinking—”

“Can you really?” the Gym Leader interrupted. “My Pokemon and I share a psychic connection. What one feels, the other feels as well. If one of us laughs, so will the other. If one of us suffers…so will the other. By forcing your Scyther to fight, you inflict pain to both of you.”

“Hey, you can ask him yourself if he wants to fight or not,” Derak protested. “You’re the one who can read minds.”

“It is the trainer’s responsibility to see to the safety of the Pokemon under his or her ownership, regardless of their feelings on the matter,” Sabrina scowled. She then finally rose from her throne. “Until further notice, I will be postponing this battle—”

“SCYYYTHER!”

With fury in its eyes, Strike charged past Mr. Mime and towards Sabrina. Though she initially gasped at the sight, the Gym Leader quickly composed herself and held out her arms.

“Strike, no!” Derak yelled, fumbling for his Scyther’s Safari Ball.

Strike’s blade swung for Sabrina, but stopped in mid-air, becoming surrounded by an aura similar to that of a Psychic attack. Despite the Scyther’s best efforts, Sabrina’s telekinesis brought its blade back down to its side.

Strike snarled at the condescension in her tone, and glanced behind itself at its bandaged wings. The Bug-type spat at the ground and clenched its jaw. It turned its gaze upon Sabrina, and with as much hate in its eyes as it could muster, Strike made its choice.

One of its wings twitched.

“Strike, was that…are you nuts?!” Derak cried. “Your wings are still hurt!”

Strike ignored him as it continued twitching its wings. Sabrina looked on, her face radiating almost as much shock as Derak’s. That was what the Scyther wanted. No one was going to pity it, or underestimate it, and get away with it. Strike gritted its teeth as it began to sweat, pouring as much effort as it could into the movement of its wings.

Finally, the casts began to rip. Strike smirked at the sound, then made one final push. The casts continued to tear and tumble as two gossamer wings emerged from within.

“Scy…THER!” Strike yelled, and silver energy enveloped its wings as they burst free, forcing away what little was left of its casts. Its metallic wings glowed brightly for a moment, then faded away as normal insect wings took their place.

Strike flitted its wings a bit, giving them a test after their period of inactivity. It smirked; its wings seemed to be just fine now.

“Well…if you are so determined,” Sabrina said as she returned to her throne, “then the battle shall continue. Are you both ready?”

Derak looked to Strike as the Scyther came back to his side of the field.

“You’re definitely ready to go all out?” he asked.

“Scyyy,” Strike nodded. It flitted its wings again. It had waited a long time for this.

“Okay…let’s do this,” Derak said. “Strike, use X-Scissor!”

Strike crossed its blades and crouched for a moment, and in a sudden surge of speed, it was right in front of Sabrina’s Mr. Mime. Pausing only to give the startled Fairy-type a sneer, Strike slashed the opposing Pokemon’s chest in an X-shaped pattern. Mr. Mime tumbled back, but quickly flipped back to its feet.

“If you will go all out, then so will we,” Sabrina said. “Mr. Mime, Thunderbolt!”

“Crap!” Derak winced. “Strike, can you dodge it?”

Strike narrowed its eyes as Mr. Mime’s hands became charged with electricity. A bolt of lightning soon erupted from one of the psychic fairy’s palms, but in a blur of movement, Strike was no longer in the place where the attack was aimed.

“Since we can use your wings now…hit it with Steel Wing!” Derak cried.

Strike shot into the air, then quickly dive-bombed Mr. Mime, its wings glowing silver once again. The Barrier Pokemon ducked in fright as Strike’s attack grazed its back, looking up in time to see the Scyther coming back for another run. Mr. Mime prepared another Thunderbolt, but Strike was upon it before the electrical attack could be released. Mr. Mime tumbled across the ground again, this time with a rather wide bruise on its chest.

“Such speed and skill…and so soon after regaining the use of its wings,” Sabrina gasped. “I see now that I was wrong…this is no ordinary Scyther.”

“No kidding,” Derak smirked. “Ready to wrap this up, Strike?”

Strike landed back on Derak’s side of the field and gave him a nod.

“We have few options left,” Sabrina grimaced. “Mr. Mime!”

Sabrina’s Pokemon nodded, then formed another Confuse Ray between its hands.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Derak cried. “Strike, nail him with Quick Attack before that goes off!”

In a rush of wind, Strike was barreling towards Mr. Mime at blinding speed. Sabrina’s eyes went wide.

“Barrier, quickly!” she cried.

Mr. Mime’s Confuse Ray dissipated as it held out its hands, forming what seemed to be a wall of glass in front of it. It expected Strike to slam head-first into the Barrier like a bird into a window, but instead, a bladed arm sliced through the shield. Strike smirked as it held its arms out, then delivered one last X-Scissor to Mr. Mime’s chest. With that, the Fairy-type fell to the ground, finally fainted.

“Whew,” Derak sighed. “Nice work, Strike.”

“Scy,” Strike replied, but kept its glare focused on Sabrina.

“Nice work indeed,” the Gym Leader admitted. “As I said before, Derak Kadir, you and your Pokemon have completely surpassed my expectations. But…I trust you know what is coming next.”

Derak tensed; he most certainly did know. Sabrina levitated one last Pokeball, and out came her Alakazam. The fox-like creature narrowed its eyes at Strike, its two spoons bending slightly already.

“There it is,” Derak remarked. He looked to his Scyther. “Want to keep going? I mean, this kind of is your show now.”

Strike nodded.

“Okay, go in for X-Scissor!” Derak cried.

“Hold it down, Alakazam!” Sabrina yelled.

Before Strike could move, the Psi Pokemon held out its spoons and radiated the familiar aura of its Psychic attack. An aura soon surrounded Strike, and the Scyther soon found its body becoming incredibly heavy. As much as the Bug-type growled and struggled, it could not move.

“Ugh…hang on, try a Silver Wind!” Derak cried.

Strike stopped focusing its effort on moving its limbs and instead tried only to move its wings. Alakazam’s mental grip on its wings was not as strong—likely due to its trainer’s attempt at mercy, Strike guessed—and as a result the Scyther was able to whip up a colorful wind that sprayed towards Alakazam. Sabrina’s chief Psychic-type winced as it was pushed back, releasing Strike from the Psychic attack.

“All right,” said Derak. “Now, go for Quick Attack before it can do that again!”

Strike blazed into the fray once again, but this time, Sabrina did not flinch. Alakazam simply put its spoons together, forming a small ball of electricity, and waited. Just when Strike came near, the electrical sphere exploded into a beam of lightning that rammed directly into Strike’s chest. The Scyther cried out in pain as the lightning rippled through its body, forcing it down to one knee.

The fox nodded, creating a Shadow Ball between its spoons. Strike was back on its feet, but before it could attack again, Alakazam’s Shadow Ball slammed into its stomach and knocked it to the floor. The Scyther had finally passed out, its rampage ended at last.

“Well…you did your best, Strike,” Derak said as he recalled his Scyther. He held up Wildfire’s orange Pokeball once more. This was it. “Here goes…come on back out, Wildfire!”

The Chimchar took the field once more, its confusion gone. It swallowed hard, however, upon realizing that its opponent was Sabrina’s Alakazam.

“Hey, we can do this, pal,” Derak said. “We can do it.”

Wildfire closed its eyes for a moment, then opened them. It nodded.

“If you are ready, we shall take the first move,” Sabrina said. “Charge Beam.”

“Dodge it and use Flame Wheel!”

Alakazam formed the electrical ball once more, but Wildfire leapt out of the attack’s reach before performing its trademark flaming somersault. Its target, however, simply sighed and held up one spoon. Another Psychic surrounded Wildfire, holding it in the air.

“Aw, crap…what do we…uh, try and shake it off with Protect!” Derak sputtered.

Rather than struggle outward against the Psychic, Wildfire folded its arms inward and allowed the green bubble to generate around it. The Protect promptly pushed the Psychic aura away, allowing Wildfire to fall back to the ground unharmed.

“Well done,” Sabrina nodded. “Still…I should warn you that every time Alakazam uses Charge Beam, it has a chance of increasing the power of all its ranged attacks by using leftover electricity.”

Derak grimaced, remembering what happened after the Psi Pokemon used Charge Beam on Strike. The electricity remaining on its body had given its future attacks a boost.

“With that in mind…go,” Sabrina said to her Pokemon. Alakazam put its spoons together for another Charge Beam.

It gets stronger every time it uses that? Great, Derak thought bitterly. Hang on…if it uses that specific electricity to power itself up…oh boy.

“Okay…Wildfire?” Derak began. “This is probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever asked you to do…but I need you to go in for Thunder Punch!”

“Char!” Wildfire cried without a second’s hesitation as it rushed forth, one fist crackling with electricity. Sabrina narrowed her eyes.

“Even though I hear your thoughts…I have no idea what you are trying to do,” she said.

Wildfire did as it was told, putting its electrified fist forward and allowing it to take the brunt of the charge beam. The two sources of lightning collided at first, and Wildfire held one arm with the other to prevent giving in. Eventually, however, the Charge Beam and the Thunder Punch became one as the energies combined into one large electrical fist.

“That’s…incredible,” Sabrina gasped. Alakazam was similarly speechless, even as Wildfire came forward and slammed its newly-empowered fist into the Psi Pokemon’s body. The yellow fox was instantly floored, electricity crackling over its body.

“Is…that it?” Derak blinked.

Sabrina closed her eyes.

“No,” she said simply.

Alakazam suddenly vanished in a flash of light. Wildfire began looking around wildly in an attempt to find its missing foe, only for the Psychic-type to reappear behind it. A Psychic attack formed around Wildfire once more, lifting the Fire-type into the air again.

Before Wildfire could form the shield, however, it was unceremoniously slammed into the ground. Immediately afterward, the Chimchar was rocketed up towards the ceiling, slamming into that as well. Sabrina’s normally-jovial Haunter gulped, no longer finding these events amusing.

“As a Gym Leader, it is my duty to test all trainers to the fullest,” Sabrina said as Alakazam continued to bounce Wildfire around the room. “You seem to care for your Chimchar very much…are you willing to forfeit this match to prevent it from being badly injured?”

“And how exactly is this fair?” Derak growled.

“Make your decision,” Sabrina said. “Time is running out.”

Alakazam slammed Wildfire into the floor again to prove its trainer’s point. It prepared to lift the Chimchar once more, but stopped when it noticed something strange. A crimson aura began to burn around Wildfire’s body. In its confusion, Alakazam accidentally released the Psychic aura, allowing Wildfire to stand up.

“Blaze,” Sabrina identified, noticing Derak’s confused stare. “That ability only activates when a Fire-type starter Pokemon’s endurance is low. It boosts the strength of the user’s Fire-type attacks…but I doubt that moves such as Ember or Flame Wheel will do much good.”

Wildfire rose to its feet with a valiant shout, its Blaze aura burning brightly. It began to growl angrily at its opponent…and so did its trainer.

Wildfire clenched its fists and gritted its teeth. Alakazam held out its spoons and attempted to create another Psychic around its opponent, but the Chimchar’s mouth suddenly opened wide.

And a massive stream of flame shot out.

Alakazam’s eyes went wide as it redirected its Psychic, trying to divert the fire away from itself and its trainer. Haunter let out a panicked cry as it quickly floated towards the ceiling near Sabrina’s throne.

“It’s learned Flamethrower,” Sabrina gasped. “Because its evolution was held off for so long, that Chimchar was able to learn that attack earlier than its evolutions would have.”

With a flame of greater intensity than before, Wildfire entered its burning somersault again and charged towards Alakazam. As with previous attempts of this kind, however, a Psychic quickly stopped the fire monkey.

“Is that it?” Sabrina asked.

“Not yet,” Derak said. “Flamethrower!”

With Alakazam’s focus already on holding Wildfire in place, it was unable to generate another means of protecting itself. Its body was quickly awash with flames, and in moments, the Psi Pokemon was lying on the ground. Its body was partially burnt, but most importantly, it was unconscious.

Derak breathed heavily for a moment, as did Wildfire. Haunter tentatively came back down.

“Okay?!” Derak yelled. “Are we done here?!”

“Yes…yes we are,” Sabrina said quietly. “In spite of every distasteful tactic I used…you have prevailed.”

Derak let out a long sigh as he sat down. Once Wildfire stopped panting, it looked worriedly at the Alakazam it once fought. Had it already become a brutal monster like Spire’s Infernape?

But Alakazam gave it a smile as Sabrina recalled it. And after a moment of consideration, Wildfire returned the smile.

“I must say, Derak Kadir…you are a very unusual trainer,” Sabrina said as she approached Derak, Haunter floating by her side. “That does seem to work in your favor, however. And…I apologize for pushing you as far as I did. My duty is to test trainers in every aspect, not just strength.”

“Whatever,” Derak grunted as he stood up. Sabrina frowned, but held out a small badge that seemed to be formed from two golden circles, one within the other.

“Here is your proof of my defeat,” she said. “The Marsh Badge.”

“Okay…first the Soul Badge for a Poison-type Gym, then the Marsh Badge for a Psychic-type Gym?” Derak blinked as he took the badge and placed it in his badge case. “Where do you people come up with these names?”

Haunter snickered somewhat. Even Sabrina smiled slightly.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to ask the makers of the Pokemon League that question,” she said. “You have two badges to go until you reach that point. The next of those is on the distant Cinnabar Island. I wish you the best of luck.”

Derak shrugged as he stuffed his badge case back into his pocket and left. Sabrina closed her eyes and smiled.

“A trainer with such a talent in battle…yet who believes that winning is not everything, even at so young an age,” she mused. “You may go farther than you believe, Derak Kadir, if you allow yourself.”

*****

(Banner by Matori)Beyond all ideals, the truth shall set you free...
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So, I know it's been quite a long time since I even touched this fic. And...that's because I'm honestly losing interest in this. Some people can write really long stories and maintain a desire to finish it; I am not one of those people. The time I have to spend on fanfics is limited now, and I want to spend it on shorter stories that I can actually finish.

Long story short, I am unfortunately going to be discontinuing Proving Grounds. I realize that I have readers who want to read about Derak and Garth's adventures, and maybe sometime down the line I might reboot this story. But, until then, I'm shelving this project in favor of other things that aren't necessarily fanfics.

Sorry to be disappointing, but I feel like this will probably be for the best (and I wanted to actually tell the few readers I have about this decision instead of just letting it fade out of existence while leaving said readers hanging forever). I'm going to bed now (tired and had a long day), but tomorrow morning I'll be contacting a mod and having this officially closed.

If I'm lucky, picking up Sun/Moon will inspire me to write something else. But until then, hope you all have a good day/night/whatever time of day it is where you are.